1934-01-13 — Page 11

Hongkong Telegraph 港電新報 士蔑新聞 All

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"MADE IN JAPAN": AN AMERICAN SURVEY

HOW PATTERNS ARE COPIED

7.

By WILLIAM MILLER

American manufacturers' Bro very concerned over Japanesɑ com. petition, mere especially at the copying of well-known trade márka, Hero, in short, is what the Japan- ese nro doing:

They buy a little something of what you make. After that, they make it themselves; using all your good ideas. Not satisfied with that, they try to sell it back to you.

Japan, like many other nations In theso trying times, has made, Intense nationalism har roligion. The West showed her the cards and forced her to play the game. She has determined to beat the West at its own game.

Year by year since the war Ja- pan has become more

and more Aelf- sufficient. At first she had to go West for the stuff out of which she

to fashion the new WAR

solf-suficient. Amazingly

of progress.

GOES ON HER OWN,

nation

Then, seeing how it was done, she started making it herself, Sho bought steel until she could copy the west's blast furnaces and Beg- nemers. Then she made them hor- Relf.

But to run them she had to have coal and ore, sulphur and silicon. Hence Manchuria....

Now she is in full swing. Many

her turn the cards in factors

Western Compared to favour, standards, her labour costs are in- significant. A few cents a day will buy root and rice for the aver age workman..

In 1853 Commodore Perry took four men-of-war into Uraga Bay to open Japan to the world. Ex- actly 80 years later the new, in- dustrial Japan is in full stride and is opening the world to Japan. LABOUR FAR CHEAPER.

Cheaper labour, cheaper prices, enable the lusty young nation to meet the rest of the world on its own ground, and, despite terrific duty and imposts, often undersell it. Those three words, "Made in Japan," are becoming more and more familiar.

Which has led to some strange manufac- sights for American turors.

Such as the locomotive manu- facturer who read announcement of Japan's contract for locomotives.

His bid was low, because he threw in two or three extra loco- motives, just for good will. COPY.U.S. LOCOMOTIVES.

But time passed and Japan didn't buy any more locomotives. She hudn't even used the ones she had bought. They never

out of the shops.

Japson Valves

Thompson

"ONE "PIECE

P

STOCK NU I

V750

UP V750

Valves

They've copied the valves, The Japanese buy American products, copy them, send their products back to America to sell cheaper than they can be made in And they're copying overy last rivet and pin on the U.S... They've copied American architecture in building the business area of Tokyo, shown at top.. shown at left, almost reproducing the trade mark and duplicating the stock number,..

an American locomotive in the sketch at the right, so they can make one just like it, at vastly less cost.

Instead, the Japanese had copled them, from largest wheel to small- est cotter-pin, including a few de- fects.

General Electric Co.'s light bulbs Invade little foreign territory. But the corporation has been tried sorely by Japanese competition in its home territory.

More than a year ago a Japanese manufacturer exported some balbs to America. On their tips, in a circle, were, the letters: "T. E." to the They were in script and casual observer looked like General Electric famillar "G. E."

A suit now is being heard in Los Angeles against an importer who distributed Japanese bulbs which Infringed General's patents. SMOOTH COPY STUNT.

The recent diacovery that Japan- esc bulbs were selling cheaper in America than they were in Japan led the Treasury Department to im- pose an extra tarif, equal to the difference, to prevent "dumping."

Thompson Products, Inc., of Cleveland, O., makes what it con- siders a rather nice automobile and aircraft valve. Foreign customers evidently thought-so-too-because they bought them extensively.

customers Few of the foreign could read English. All they knew and parts was Thompson valves had moved

came in a yellow box with

birthday on

BY MILTON BRONNER.

Otto Hapsburg, Archduke by courtesy, King by education, un- tiring aspirant to the shadow thrones of Austria and Hungary, celebrated his 21st November 20 with more genuine hope than at any period in his short existence. For time, cir- cumstances and his mother have all been working in his favour.

Time has softened the hatreds stirred up against the im perial Hapsburg family.

war

get

the

symbol "T. P." on the side, the "T" and "P" intertwined.

Now, it seems, the Japanese are making some valves, and replace- ment parts. They call them Jap- son valves. Curiously; they pack them in a yellow box.

Just as curiously, they have a symbol on the side, a "J" and a "P" intertwined. The "J" has a very short leg and a very long The casual observer would have difficulty in telling whether it

"T" was meant for a "J" or n

arm,

Even the valve stock number, "V-750," 18 reproduced. Thia, needless to say, is very annoying. THIS DODGE FAILS.

An internationally known manu- facturer of screens for various sorts of mining recently got an unusual order from Japan. They didn't want the complete screen, just the material.

The material was sent. The next order for more material said the order was contingent upon the firm enclosing its label for complete screens with the material.

The firm refused, saying the for the firm's screens, label was not for screens the Japanese might make with the firm's material. The order came back minus the stipula tion and was filled.

up

for a t at the 10-cent stores quarter.

"How on earth," you wonder. "can the rubber companies afford to put so much rubber into a toy for so small a price!" Well, the answer is on the bottom of one of the rubber puppy's feet, in very small letters: "Made in Japan." BOUGHT FOR MODELS.

A manufacturer of scale cara for blast furnaces sold three of them to Japan. He waited in vain for further' orders. After a while he learned that Japan didn't need any more. The three she had bought were for models; now she's building

her own.

American manufacturers do not question the right of Japan to be- come as self-sufficient as possible. They lived-in too many Klass to cast stones houses themselves at Japan.

But for all the patent and copy- right infringement that has gone on within our own borders, they still feel that the Japanese have done things no self-respecting busi- ness man would condone. TRADE IS RUINED.

This amazing-self-suffelency of of several stones Japan is one crushing almost out of existence Exceedingly large rubber ant-American industries that formerly mais, gafly coloured, you can pick thrived in world trade,

Consider the example of a mid- western manufacturer of woollen cloths. Its export trade, which once ran into hundreds of thou- sands of dollars, has dwindled to practically nothing.

Met with Empire preferential tariffs, it cannot compete with British mills. Met with the sud- denly developed Japanese competi- tion on one hand and the high requirements of American labour on the other (higher still since NRA), it practically has been forced out of the world market. LOSE EITHER WAY.

It has to get most of its raw_ma- terial from Australia. But Eng- land, through Empire preference, gets wool from her little sister cheaper than can America.

Then we run into our own tariff walls on imports which boosts the price of wool even more. Well, cut our tariffs. Then what happens? Here come the Japanese!

It is hard to keep Japanese It is, because of woollens out as Japan's low labour costs. They pay the prohibitive almost can tariff and still undersell the do- mestic manufacturer, as in case of rubber dogs and electric light bulbs.

the

It is all a very perplexing busi

the poor manufacturer. ness to No matter which way he turns, they've got him.

"MILLIMET TERNICH

THE STORY OF AUSTRIA'S DIMINUTIVE CHANCELLOR

DR.

ENGELBERT DOLLFUSS

Whon Destiny sits down to deal out her high cards, sho sometimes has a way of slipping them to people who never were expected to hold anything higher than eight-spot.

an

Thus it is that a smiling, rather nervous Kittle man named Engelbert Dollfuss-ho's just under five feet tall and he weighs just a little less than 125 pounds, and he makes cigarettes all the time-appears in Central Europo to-day, as the man of the hour.

Dollfuss is Chancellor of Austria, dictator of all that remains of the onco proud Austrian empire.

To the north lles Germiany, milit ant and aggressive under Hitlor, openly scheming to swallow Aus- tris's G,500,000 inhabitants and maka Austria just another pro- vince of an expanding Germany. . GREAT POWERS SUPPORT

DOLLFUSS.

Chancellor Dollfuss stands in Germany's path. It won't happen If Dollfuss can help it; and while ho is the tiny statesman of a tiny country, fato has dealt him a pretty fair collection of aces.

One ace is the fact that Italy, France and England have sided with him.

became an organizer for the for- mers of the noighbourhood, who were forming a union to protect their economic Interests...

His knowledge of law and econo mics, coupled with his native abili ty, made him a valuable man. After a few years he was appointed director of the Lower Austrian Chamber of Agriculture. ·

By 1930 Dollfuss had made hla mark as a capable executive, and the government appointed him to reorganizo and operate the national railway aystem. A year later he was made minister of agriculturo In the national cabinet. Then, in the spring of 1932, came his great" est opportunity,

There was a cabinet crisis and a new Chancellor was needed. President Miklas selected Dollfusa..

For some months he did not make any. very profound Impres alon. Austrians nicknamed him, fovially, "Millimetternich," which comes to about the same thing as "half-pint. Lincoln" in America. TAKES OVER RULE OF AUSTRIA. Then, last spring, came tho crisis. Parliament dissolved and Dollfuns announced that he would rule alone.

Ahother is the fact that he has succeeded in re-awakening the patriotic fevour of his follow coun- trymen. A year or so ago most Austrians didn't especially care whether they merged with Ger-zation. But he is not a Nazi. many or not; a lot of them, looking back on the dismal record of the post-war years, thought it probably would he a good thing. To-day they feel differently. The change has been Dollfuss' doing.

Dollfuss is a Fascist. Ho dis believes in parliamentary govern-: mert. He has the typical Fascist conception of government organi-,

Still another ace is the little Chancellor's undoubted ability ns a statesman and executive. WINS HONOURS IN WORLD WAR. What sort of man is he, this gamecock who has checked one of Hitler's prime ambitions?

He is of markedly humble birth. He was born in 1802, the son of a peasant woman, on a farm some 50 miles from Vienna.

In the old days of the Hapsburgs, a peasant's son had small chance of ever rising out of his class; but young Dollfuss showed such In- tellectual ability in the village Achool that he won a scholarship, went to the Univeralty of Vienna to study law, and passed from there to do post-graduate work in economics at Berlin University.

Instead of joining hands with Hitler, his brother-Fascist, ho massed troops along the border to keep Hitler's men in their place. Austrian Nazis were disarmed, their meeting places raided, their activities hampered.

He went to Rome, talked to Mus- solini, obtained loan to bolster his

stovernment. finances. Ho went to Switzerland and got an other loan. He won the consent of France, England and Itályto Increase the size of the Austrian army. He revived his country's feeling of patriotism. He sup pressed the Nazis, on one hand. and the Communista on the other. LIVES QUIETLY, SCORNS

"SOCIETY".

To-day you justly can apply that much-abused expression, "the man of the hour," to him. Austrians: still call him "Millimetternen"~" but they say it admiringly now..

Dollfuss lives qulatly and with- The war broke out when he was

out display. With his wife and 22. He hurrled home, enlisted, and two small children he occupies an served in a machine gun regiment

apartment not far from the Chan- before cellry. Every morning, in the Tyrol. He saw upward of

active going to work, he gets down on the three years of extremely service, and won decorations.

floor to play with the children for half an hour or so-building housos: out of blocks, helping them operate: a toy train, lugging them around the room on his back, and so on.

Because of his bravery and in- telligence, he was promoted to first lieutenant-a genuine distinction. considering the difficulties thrown In the way of a peasant's son in the old imperial Austrian army.

MAKES HIS MARK AS EXECUTIVE.

Then came the peace. Dollfuss went back to his home district and

THE RETURN OF THE HAPSBURGS? STRING-PULLING BY THE EX-EMPRESS ZITA

back his lost Hungarian throne,

She faced the danger with him, She shared his exile. Her hus- band dead, she dried her tears and То

began training her oldest son. her he is ever and always a king. When he was 18, she summoned all the Hapsburgs to come to her Belgian home to pay tribute to their Kaiser and King, who had not realized his majority accord- ing to Hapsburg House laws.

Only recently she has been 80- Journing in Rome. Here, sented- upon an improvised golden throne, she received Austrian and Hur- But she did garian legllimists. more than that. She tried to en- gineer a marriage between her eldest boy and the prety, dark, His mother, the ex-Empress charming Princess Maria, daugh- Zita, has been pulling the stringster of Italy's king. It is rumoured

Circumstances now have made Austria a more fertile ground for royalistic manoeuvres than any time since the revolution of 1918.

with "masterly" hand.

that everything seems favourable. Little Maria will not have much say. Princesses are used to that,

Zita will go down in history as one of the most striking figures of

Time has wrought some dazz- these times. Born a Bourbon-

Hng reverses. Only a couple of Parma, her grandfather, the Duke

years ago, it seemed that, if Otto of Parma murdered and her father

were ever to become a king, Hun- driven out when he was cleven, ala i gary would be his best bet. Hun- grow up in the hard school of gary called itself a kingdom, with

poverty and adversity, soared to dazzling heights for n briof time

PLANNING ROMANCE.

Admiral Horthy as chair-warmer

But the year 1933 has seen the with the title of Regent. Hun- Karian custom, the laws called the Hitlerites trying by savage meth- ús Austrian Empress, and once

Pragmalle Sanctions, and Otto'sods to force Austria into becoming more faces poverty and adversity. own descent seemed to make him part of a Nazi Germany. Little Chancellor Dolliuss has proved himself the man of the hour in resisting this plan. Franco is violently against Austrian an- nexation to Germany, thereby aggrandizing that country. Italy is just as much opposed because Mussolini does not want Germany -as his frontler neighbour. With

But there is a flame in the heart of this little, frall woman, with deep dark rings cut under her oyes, which will not let her rest.

King of Hungary although un- crowned. Austria seemed hope- less from his standpoint, because not only was it a ropublic, but in 1010 lawe wero passed taking away the Hapsburg estates and in 1921 other laws were passed bar- Twice she drove her exiled Em-ring Hapsburgs from being rulers peror husband into attempts to of the little country.

Former Empress Zita (upper left), who is seeking to make her son, Otto Hapsburg (upper right), King of Austria, may succeed in engineering a rlage between her Son, and Princess Maria (below), daughter of Italy's King. Inset is a sketch of the Austrian grown..

mer.

these circumstances, the thoughts of statesmen are turning to the 108sibility of making Otto Em- peror of Austria. That would, perhaps, scotch the Hitler schemes for good.

KING A "LESSER-ÉVIL" Dollfuss is not violently oppor- od to a Hapsburg restoration with himself as Premier. His second In command, Major Foy, Vico Chancellor, is an ardent booster of Otto. But there are still many

He cares little for "aociety." Hla excess of nervous energy leads him' to smoke constantly more, it is sald, than is "good" for him:-And- his favourite dish is a thick, creamy potato soup.

the new Emperor and Otto bei came Crown Prince.

external and internal hurdles.to be jumped. Inside Austria the Nazis and the Socialists at the

From the palace windows his two extremes are opposed to the baby eyes saw the strong young.

not al- monarchy. But it is

men with flower-bedecked hats, that together improbable the going away to the war ainging. Socialists would take Otto as a

From those same windows he saw lesser evil than a Hitler.

some of them coming back, shell. blasted and silent.

Externally the big powers are not so inimical as they used to be.

ESCAPE TO SWITZERLAND. But they might have. trouble with the succession states-Czecho-330- In 1918, at the age of six, ho vakia, Yugoslavia nad Roumania, saw Vienna in the throes of revolu which in the past have declared tlon. A short sojourn in a eastlo they would go to war rather than and then escape to Switzerland. allow a Hapsburg to reign. They The family moved from place to fear that Otto on the throne of Tlace. Then nows that his father Austria would be the first step. and mother had been captured Crowning as king of Hungary when trying to get back the Hun- would be the second. Attempt to garian throne and were being grab back from them former taken away as prisoners to an uns destination. Then Ma- crown lands would be the next. known

deira where his father was ar Hence their anxiety.

exile and ill.

:

At his cradle the good fairies gavo Oito many gifts-a quick March 27, 1922, in the night receptive mind and good looks, the ten-year-old boy was summon which have made him the handed to see his father receive th somest, most romantic-appearing last sacraments. Four days late prince in the world. But the bad the child witnessed his parent' fafrica gave him the cup of bitter-death ness and tears to drink.

THE PRINCE'S ASSETS. He was born at Wartholz Castle November 20, 1912. His father was then a simple Major in the Austrian army, only one of a shonl of Archdukes. The pistols which killed Archduke Franz Ferdinand, hoir to tho Austro-Hungarian throne, in Barajevo June 28, 1914. thoroby bringing about the world war, suddenly shot the baby Ot to's father into the position of heir apparent.

When he was four, the old man's death made Archduke Karl

agony. Once more th stricken family's dreary trek be gan. A castle at Bilbon, anothe at San Sebastian, a small house, d Lequeltic, school days at th Bonedoctine Grammar School Clairvaux. In Luxemburg. Then move to Ham Castle at Steenocki orzool in Belgium, while he al tonded, the University of Louval and took the extended In languages, literature, histo and politics that a future kir needs. He graduated with ho ours. Now he is ready for 'an thing-oven a throne. To get he is dedicating his life-push by the untiring Zita..

course

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