U.S. PLANS FOR JAPANESE INDUSTRY

Grey River Argus, 29 March 1948, Page 3

U.S. PLANS FOR JAPANESE INDUSTRY

TOKIO, March 26.

America plans to make Japan the “workshop of the Far East.” This was announced to-day by the United States Under-Secretary foi’ the Army, Mr. William Draper, who said Congress committees were now considering a Bill to make an immediate grant of 18,000,000 dollars to Japan, in addition to an annual appropriation of 300,000,000 to 40,000,-“ 000 dollars “for disease and unrest.” Dr. Draper said that Washington considered the establishment of a self-supporting economy for Japan a primary objective. The Japanese recovery programme had been developed on basically the same principles as the recovery programme for Europe. . The Army and State Departments, he said believed that in order to make Japan self-sufficient a certain amount of industrial raw material would have to be supplied for a short period. Mr. Draper denied that the United States plan was aimed against Russia. It had been designed honestly. and wholeheartedly to save the American taxpayer and to put the Japanese on their feet, so that they could go forward as a democratic nation.

Mr. Draper said the Potsdam declaration, fixing post-war Japanese economy at the 193-34 level, had not been interpreted by America as meaning that the level would not be increased at some time, if the Japanese by their own efforts showed that it was possible without endangering peace. He added that the tendency since the end of the war has been to consider factors overlooked then. The maximum contgnjplated cost to the United States in any one year would by 580,000,000 dollars, but this would be on a reducing scale with the objective of making Japan self-sufficient by 1952-53.