OUR JAPANESE VISITORS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2431, 9 April 1915, Page 7

OUR JAPANESE VISITORS

EASTERN TRADE

fSENTIMENT AND- BUSINESS

SPEECH BWHON.. H. D.. BELL

THE - MOTHERLAND

("I am aware that lb Is not customary 'to import sentiment into business matters, but at a : time like tie present it is difficult to keep national sentiment out altogether. When we remember that our respeotive countries) together •/with i brave Belgium, Russia, and France are side by side fighting for freedom and civilisation against a treacherous, cowardly and piratical foe lit would be wonderful indeed if some of .the friendship for our mutuality of interests did not extend to our trade reflations.'" _ The aboje was a_ statement included in a very interesting speech made by Dr. Jissil Miura, the leader of the Japanese Trade Commission to 'New Zealand at'a luncheon yesterday, iand the sentiments were vigorously applauded by, those present. The luncheon was tendered to the 'members of the Japanese Commission, Drs. Miura, Ohtaua, and Mr. M. Nishida by the Council •of the "Wellington 'Chamber of Commerce, in the Empire (Hotel. Mr. C. W. Jones, president of (the Chamber of Commerce, presided, <and there were present: The Hon. H. • -D. Bell (Minister of Internal Affairs), fthe Hon. J. Allen (Minister of Defence). Sir Joseph Ward (Leader of the 'Opposition), the Mayor (Mr. 'J. P. (Luke). Messrs..J. A. Tripe. (represent--inc the Japanese Consul), G. F. Johns•ton (Consul for Belgium), Jas. Macintosh (Consul for France), U. F. M Cabe for Russia), F. S. Pope •'(Secretary for Agriculture), W. G. ItWickham (H.M. Trade Commissioner), jund members of the Council of the and leading commercial men. [The room in. which the luncheon was served was decorated with flags of tie (/Allies, and the table, out of resnect to the visitors, with large yellow chrysanthemums. •

i. The toast of "The King" and "The 'Japanese Emperor." were both honoured, and the chairman then welcomed ilthe Japanese emissaries. The advent 'to our shores, he said,"of an Imperial itission from _ Japan to promote oommerciar relations was a very noto{v/ort'hy event in the.history of 'the Dommion. .Ho appreciated the privilege of being the man to -welcome.'that commercial embassv to Wellington, and ha cordially wished them success to their efforts. -In the absence of the Prime Minister (the Right. Hon. W. F. MasJsey) who was out of town, he proposed call on the Minister of Internal Affairs to propose the most important foastr—"Onr Visitors." When that was done, and as the gathering was entirely non-political. he would ask Sir ;Jo£?pa Ward to support" it.

| The Japanese Visitors, , In proposing the toast' Mr. Bell said ,;that both on behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government, he could assure their visitors that they (the Government) were glad to be associated [.with -the leaders of;industry arid com;meroe m offering a welcome Ito the | emissaries. They would find first in ■ tie minds of the people of this town a remembrance- of' that "day a 7 few months ago when- their flag floated in Ithis harbour from one of Japan's.splenidid battleships—(applause)—which was (to convoy from this distant dependancy , ; of the Empire troops to the seat of the -.conflict that was raging. That would ■68 first.m the minds.of the men they .would meet, but not less would bo ;«j remembrance of Japan's rerw a vv tllat stronghold b (China, which was a menace .in the East • iliar 00-operation ip. the seas, also tha 'Sr 6l^ 1 had taken with their al y, and their still more remarkable .self-abnegation and restraint in B tn lC^r S /l lßy i <i f ai ?, €d or hel P«* ■us to m (Applause.) But all those considerations that they would have to get behind would not make us less ..friendly when, they came to discuss .matters of> peaceful negotiations in ■trade; Their country was singularly ilike ours m many respects, but it had the great- advantage over us of ancient civilisation,_ long experience in art and science which began before civilisation began in Europe, and continued under {European lines.in a way that was araaamg to tnose of the Western nations, ■who could not understand how it' was jpossible for a nation so to adapt itself ■to the new circumstances in which it found itself. (Applause.)

t Different Social Conditions. V "You. will find Dr. Miura and colleagues," continued Mr. Bell, "that •here in this of the British Empire .we are conversant that you come from & country. which is our oily and friend -.the first country to which England has ; entered into an alliance since the Cri,mea, and a oountry which now takes her place, the place she has earned for herself,- as one of the great Powers of : the war." (Applause.) He had spoken of the similarities of the countries them.selves, possibly offering facilities and : opportunities for relations of trade, hut 'the similarity almost stopped with the natural conditions. - Japan contained fifty million people to New Zealand's •one million, and from that factor tha difficulties, which they all hoped would be got over, would be first met._ There fwas a standard of frugality and economy and_ industry in Japan different to that in this country; a standard •consequent upon the occupation of a territory of that size -with such a large population. ' The conditions in 'a country of so much smaller population must be different. AVith that came the fac- . tor of the standard of wages, and' the competition of trade must be affected by that factor. Again, New Zealand was a country of production, our rnanufaetureswere insignificant. Japan was necessarily a great manufacturing country. The difficulty was what market could New Zealand give to Japan.] There was one other consideration, and the Japanese could not but sympathise with' the endeavour of the English people in this distant deper dency of the Crown to recognise the duty they owed to their mother country, and tinder no | ; ciroumstances could they encourage 1 others to hope that they could be placed on an equal footing with the terms | they hoped to extend to that Mother Country. He hoped it would never bo said that they should not offer preference to English manufactures and trade; it was a part of their duty, and he thought it was a part of England's heritage in the Dominions. Two Creat and Friendly Nations, But hampered even by these condi- ' tions, there was surely an opportunity for two great and friendly nations, ce- ' mented as they were b,y an alliance, of i which he assured the visitors the Eng- ' lish "were aB proud as tho Japanese— ' (applause)—to come to a working understanding with regard to trade ,and commerce which would enable a freer communication of trade ( and commercial relations between this ;part of tho British Empire and their great country. He would only ask thorn to remember, in respect to the last conditions, what they themselves would think if Formosa wore to prefer island to. thsms&J.ves. ass.

euro those gentlemen visiting here that if they wanted philanthropy they would have to go to tho Government. (Laughtor.) They would not find it among business men. Evidence of Trade Evolution. Sir Joseph ""Ward supported the toast, and said on the wholo he agreed with the sentiments expressed. Ho wanted to wclcomo the Japanese membors, and he said it was tho ovi(lenco of tho evolution which was taking placo over the world. It showed that, the Japanoso realised that thero was going to bo a tremendous evolution in trade after this war. He thought tho Japanese wore showing an alertness in coming to this country to see how much of tho trade which wa» to bo diverted after the war could go to their country. Ileferring to the Alliance, Sir Joseph Ward pointed to the happy cireumstajico that the enemies of yesterday, Japan and Russia, were friends to-day, helping tho Allies against tho country that desired to dominate the world. They were proud of the gentlemen who had seen, so far ahead, and brought about an Alliance between Britain and Japan. Further, ho expressed his opinion that it. would become necessary to adjust tariffs all over the world, and in this country after the war. and there were many opportuni-. ties of allowing a, great trade!, to develop between this country and' Japan. No mercantile man could hops to nave everything on one side. While anxious to see trade developing between Japan and New Zealand, there were difficulties which their own common-sense would help them to realise. The Japanese in their Alliance had shown an absence of selfishness which had been much appreciated. (Applause.) A Japanese Tribute. Dr. Miura, in his reply; said that ho had to thank the chairman for his kind invitation that day, and for the opportunity that had been afforded him and his friends to meet the foremost gentlemen of the Government and business life of this city. ■ He was, indeed, surprised at the commercial magnitude of their great country, and he could not help but regard it as a wonderful tribute to the colonising genius of Great [ Britain. He was here in the Dominion to inquire into trade conditions, his objeot being to study commercial oppor-. tunities and trade methods, so as to enable him to instruct Japan's merchants and manufacturers how to proceed in the work of opening up trade with New Zealand. . Thero was already a great deal of trade done between Australasia and Japan,. and it was rapidly increasing. During the last ten years the export from Australasia had' increased threefold to Japan,' whilst the imports had increased twofold. Whilst that might be considered satisfactory to a certain extent, there was plenty of room for improvement, and he hoped soon to see by statistics their mutual trade more nearly approaching the quantities and values which to-day went to other nations than Japan. Japan came ninth in Australasia's trade, and the amount of trade with New Zealand, according to the last published returns, was only one-eighth what it was with Germany. During his tour he had been astonished: at the tremendous purchasing power of the German merchants in our markets. They had been buying immense quantities of iron, lead, etc., and sending in exchange crockery, glassware, hosiery, cotton textile goods, chemicals, etc. The war at present raging had stopped trade with Germany. Some of tho people in this country expressed the opinion that it would be a long timo before trade relations would resume between here and Germany and Austria. Ho would like Australasia to turn to Japan when looking round to replaco that trado.. Japan wanted wool, iron, lead, etc., and they could supply glassware, crockery, hosiery, toys, of just as good a quality as Germany could, and at less cost;, (Hear, hear.) National Sentiment.

.He was aware that it was not customary to import sentiment into business matters, but at a time like the present it was difficult to keep national sentiment out altogether. (Applause.) When they remembered that their respective countries, together with brave Belgium, and mighty Russia and France, were side by' side fighting for freedom and civilisation against a treacherous, cowardly, Sind piratical foe, it would be wonderful indeed if some of thw friendship for their mutuality of interests did not extend to the trade relations. (Applause.]! His country had done' but- comparatively little in the war up to the present, but he thought it would be admitted that that little was fairly useful, and ho trusted that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance would last for over.. - (Applause.) Ho had beon told that there was a time, not very far distant, when somo looked with suspicion upon, that Allianco. but now it- was becoming clear that all that suspicion was "made, iu Germany."

This visit, he continued, would be tho first of a sories, and from time to time omissaries of commerce would visit New Zealand. (Applause.) It was tho only natural outcome of the encouragement they had received from peoplo here, and the warmth of tho welcome. It would be his pleasing duty to report _ to his Government the friendly reception they had mot with everywhere in Australasia, and particularly in this thriving aud beautiful Dominion of Now Zealand. Concluding, he said: "I wisli you, Mr. President, and gentlemen, all happiness and prosperity, and I hopo that if any of you, at any time,- should bo visiting my country, you will do me the favour of making yourselves known to me, and thuß afford me tho opportunity of reciprocating iu somo slight measure your great kindness to-day." $r. Ohtaue also expressed pleasure at the welcome they had received. The gathering broko .np after tho hoalth of the chairman, proposed by Mr. Luke, had been drunk.