From Encouraging; First Quarter Figures Tokyo, Apr. 8.
Japan's foreign trade outlook is not encouraging, despite very effective efforts being made by the Government to balance imports and exports by curbing imports of non-urgent and unnecessary goods.
Partly as a result of Government restrictions, partly because of trade depression and partial boycotts of Japanese goods in other parts of the world, exports have shrunk considerably since. the beginning of the year, This cannot fail to put heavy direct pressure on Japanese industries and therefore on' Japanese living conditions, Higher prices now demanded by Japanese exporters to meet increased costs largely due to increased taxation and Government interference with trade generally, tend to impede a recovery of the export movement,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.