To the Editor of the fonru-Citmwa Darcy News'
Smy—May 1 be permitted a few random thoughts) which may. have some small relation to ProvEssor Banker's Search for an explanation of the 600. percent, advantage with! which it is suggested, Japan. starts over the West in the feld of interna tional competition?
cal wages in Japan can be proved either low or high, according as the comparison is pitted against wages in the Western market or against the low cost of necessaries in Japan. Is there a lower "standard of living" in Japan as compared with Europe?" This begs the question as to what are the Basic satisfactions of life in Japan and the West. Perhaps a vast difference, based Jupon differing spiritual stimuli, offers! the clue. But does it: since the search {fer increasing physical comfort makes all humanity kin?
Labour is abundant in Japan, Being feudal-minded, it is docile It is, therefore, cheap in one sense.. Gener-jolly, longer hours are worked in Japan. Her industrial technique highly efficient. Scientifc ration alization, as opposed to the obsolete felutterings in certain old industries the West, is to Japan's credit and, her advantage in competition, Then, again, the majority of Japan's large-scale ' industries enjoy the advantages of Government assistance and control. the explanation, perhaps, in the fact that a great part of Japan. groans (oellely, of course) to. furnish her advantages in commercial competence J—that a beggared peasantry supports this competence? Farmers and fishers, vast sections of the populace, live somewhat pitifully, it is asse following is an instance of induitrialcapital exploitation of Japan's agri-_ cultural economy: ord and ceaseless work in wet rice fields from early "morning tit There is big gulf between the Yen 281 annual income of the poor farmer and that of more than Yen $0,000,000 income of the Mitsui family.
Utilizing some of these ideas as a lead to a train of thought, perhaps. Proresson Bankes will return in your columns to. this vastly important subject and give us his explanations for this 6 to 1 advantage of Japan over the West in world competition.
Shanghai, Oct. 24.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.