Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0011, 1945-11-18.
Date18 November, 1945
translation numbereconomic-0058
call numberDS801 .S81
Persistent Identifier
ECONOMIC SERIES: 11
ITEM 1 Ship Building Policy - Nippon Sangyo-Keizai - 12 Nov 45. Translator: H. Shindo
Extracts:
Due to various mishaps, shipping has became further limited in capacity. Supreme
Headquarters has ordered the employment of
all available measures to correct the situation.
Ships now under construction are, in general, war time standard types. Other types
are the A type (11,000 tons), B type (7,000
tons) and the D type (4,000 tons).
Since the D type ship consumes proportionately more coal, its construction and use
is considered uneconomic. Furthermore, a
more efficient post-war ship building program is required.
Since government ship building subsidies will be discontinued sooner or later, ship
builders should be permitted to design and
construct ships without government supervision. Companies preferring to construct
ships of simple design will build standard
types, and other companies will build other ships of a design based on many years
of shipbuilding experience.
The government must issue only general directives and not in any way interfere with
the plans of the ship building
companies.
ITEM 2 The production of Timber Decreased - Nippon Sangyo-Keizai - 12 Nov 45. Translator: H. Shindo
Extracts:
Since the termination of war, the production of timber has been greatly decreased,
The great decrease in the production of
timber is explained as follows:
- 1.Timber sellers demand buyers to cancel contracts, believing that bargains, made under the protection of Timber Control Law (MOKUZAI TOSEI HO) for the benefit of rural timber distribution companies (CHIGISNA) must be dissolved at the same time as the termination of war.
- 2.The laborers suffer from shortages and living on rationed food can not possibly continue the cutting of timer.
- 3.Many timber companies refrain from shipping of timber until the price of timber is raised.
ITEM 3 New Distribution Method of Paints - Ni[illegible]on Sangyo-Keizai - 12 Nov 45. Translator: T. Mitsunashi
Extracts:
The Paints Control Corporation (TORYO-TOSEI-KAISHA) has set up a temporary distribution
method of paints as follows: The
principal point is that distribution will be made separately to each demand
ECONOMIC SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
as well as en-bloc to group demands.
Summary of a temporary distribution method of paints:
- 1.For the Allied troops.
- 2.For repairing of factories making civilian goods; confined to war damage recovery and supporting of the nation's livelihood.
- 3.For supporting and promoting land and marine transportation capacity.
- 4.For maintaining a necessary minimum production of food.
- 5.For increased production of necessities of life urgently needed.
- 6.For exports industries.
Distribution will be made for each kind of demand as follows:
- 1.For one and two, the painting industry union (TOSO-KOGYO-KUMIAI) will reserve for their operation a portion of allotted quantity. Application must be made to the Paints Control organization through a dealer, for their approval and allotment.
- 2.For the third type of demand, allotment will be made en-bloc for government offices and control organs to make a scheduled distribution.
- 3.Demands covered by four, five and six will get their allotment en-bloc. It will be made to control organs which have a capacity of making a scheduled distribution. Other consumers must apply separately to the Paints Control organ through a dealer for their approval and allotment.
ITEM 4 Supply and Demand of Light Metals Admits of No Optimism: Aluminum Industry Depends Upon Bauxite - Nippon Sangyo Keizai Shimpo - 12 Nov 45 - Translator: M. Maruyama
Summary:
The demand for light metal products in JAPAN is increasing. The demand is especially
heavy for household utensils, electric
apparatus, repair parts for cars, coins, and other objects, However, the supply admits
no optimism, notably because of the
loss of natural resources and the difficulty of production on the basis of domestic
resources. The demand may be met for the
time being by using stocks held at bullion refineries, alloyed light metal plants
and aircraft manufacturing factories. Theses
tocks consist [illegible]of about 10,000 metric tons of unprocessed aluminum, about 60,000 metric tons of
duralumin, about 15,000 metric tons of scraps, and 100 metric tons of magnesium.
The point at issue, however, is whether or not future production can be held steady
without serious [illegible]rances. The Commerce and Industry Ministry has drafted a tentative plan to meet the
demand solely from
materials produced in JAPAN, through utilization of surplus electric power and labor.
The production of 40,000 metric tons of
light metals has thus been outlined for 1946 by the Ministry. Simultaneously, the
Ministry has laid down a plan for the
production of about 3,000 metric tons of household utensils, 600 metric tons of electric
machines and electric apparatus, car
parts and coins, and 1,900 tons of other necessary materials. In addition, the regular
demand is estimated to total about
40,000 metric tons, comprising 15,000 metric tons for general household utensils,
l0,000 metric tons for wire, 10,000 metric
tons for machines and apparatus, and 5,000 metric tons for coins and other purposes.
- 2 -
ECONOMIC SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
Prospects for the future supply and demand as well as the conditions in the past
on the basis of data prepared by the Commerce
and Industry Ministry are surveyed in the following articles:
Aluminum: The Commerce and Industry Ministry believes since the management of the future production
of aluminum on the basis of domestic ores presages, much difficulty, because of the
high cost and technical inferiority of the
ore, the aluminum industry of JAPAN is destined to revert to its former status of
depending, upon imported bauxite. For the
annual production of 40,000 metric tons of aluminum 220,000 metric tons of bauxite
and 17,000 metric tons of flurite will have
to be imported from abroad. This, however, is impossible at present, because of the
shortage of ships in JAPAN. Scant hope is
thus entertained for quick revival of aluminum production from imported materials.
The same Ministry observes that the
country's aluminum production will be reinstated [illegible]in 1946, and in the meantime, the industry will
use stocks held in bullion refineries, alloyed light metal plants, and aircraft manufacturing
factories, During, the war, the
demand for aircraft construction material increased, but the ration for civil demand
was extremely restricted.
The aluminum ration for the year 1937 totalled more than 20,000 metric tons, but
the 1943 ration was restricted to 6,791
metric tons. The 1944 ration for civil demand was fixed at 2,773 metric tons, due
to decrease in production, no ration was
actually made. There is virtually no ration for 1945.
The production of aluminum in JAPAN was begun in 1934. Production was increased after
the outbreak of the war with CHINA. The
War of Greater East Asia spurred the industry to greater activity. The 1934 production
figure was only 1,002 metric tons,
which had increased to 14,434 metric tons in 1937, to 71,722 metric tons in 194l,
and finally to 141,084 metric tons in
1943.
This figure set an all-time record and was 140 times that for 1934. Looking back
upon the demand trend during the intervening,
period, aluminum products had been mainly demanded for military purposes since the
war with CHINA, although civil demand was
heavy before the war broke out. As domestic supply failed to meet domestic demand,
materials were imported from abroad to a
large extent. The domestic demand was heavily restricted, due to the war with CHINA.
Because no even supply for military purposes was realized, mainly aircraft production
was affected by the amount of light
metal production. Subsequently when ships were lost JAPAN was compelled to restrict
the importation of bauxite from the
southern regions and this unavoidably led this country to get bauxite mainly alumina
shales, from MANCHURIA, CHINA and some
parts of JAPAN. Efforts were made to prevent the production from falling and to strengthen
the productive structure,
mobilizing all kinds of materials available in this part of the world.
Alumina shales were not the sole substitute for bauxite. Alum stones and mineral
dregs were also used for the purposes. As
manufacturing processes, the soda lime method, high-degree alkali formula and alum
stone method were adopted one after
another. In spite of this plan of converting the bauxite formula into these methods
of using domestic materials, the 1944
production dropped to 110,308 metric tons. The aluminum industry was further set-back
in 1945, as the country's
- 3 -
ECONOMIC SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
transportation system was seriously damaged. The dependence upon domestic materials
was noticeable more than ever before.
Expansaion work requiring a heavy amount of building materials was suspended. The
enlargement enterprises of electrolytic
equipment was cut short, except those nearing completion. At the same time, part of
the alumina producing equipment in JAPAN
was about to be transferred to CHINA, but before this was realized, the war ended.
The production for the first quarter of 1945 was unsatisfactory, reflecting the execution
of conversion plans and poor
technical ability for processing the domestic materials, and dropped to 6,563 metric
tons.
Imports of aluminum into JAPAN were 11,700 metric tons in 1929; 10,800 metric tons
in 1930; 5,230 metric tons in 1934; 11,000
metric tons in 1935; and 8,900 metric tons in 1936. The number of aluminum plants
in JAPAN at the end of the war, was since
operated by seven companies with a total nominal productive capacity of 127,000 metric
tons and a total actual productive
capacity of 93,000 metric tons; that in KOREA was three plants run by three companies
with a total nominal productive capacity
of 29,000 metric tons; that in FORMOSA was two plants with a total productive capacity
of 26,000 metric tons; and that in
MANCAURIA one plant run by one company with a nominal productive capacity of 10,000
metric tons.
Magnesium: Production of magnesium in JAPAN was begun in 1931. The production at that time
was 332
metric tons; 1,330 metric tons in 1938; and 2,686 metric tons in 1941. This industry
was one of the industries that had been
launched in JAPAN on the basis of Japanese technique after the outbreak of the war
with CHINA.
From 1943, expanion after expansion was effected in the industry with the result
that the 1943 production reached 4,138 metric
tons. During the initial period of the industry the factories were located exclusively
in JAPAN proper, but new ones were
built one after another in KOREA, MANC[illegible]URIA, and CHINA. The overall production of magnesium for
1944 amounted to 4,8[illegible]6 metric tons, consisting, of 2,635 metric tons in JAPAN proper; and 2,171
metric tons in overseas areas. Setting the production goal for 1944 at 10,000 metric
tons, just 10 percent of aluminum
production, the authorities started the enterprise in earnest, but, due to insufficient
supply of industrial salt, coal and
other necessary materials during the latter half of the year, combined with delayed
manufacturing of machines, the expansion
work lagged.
The result was that the year's output was less than 5,000 metric tons, and thus the
balance of production between aluminum and
magnesium was lost. The magnesium factories in JAPAN are six run by six companies
with total nominal productive capacity of
4,2[illegible]0 metric tons; those in KOREA six run by six companies with a total nominal productive
capacity of 3,650 metric tons; and those in MANOHURIA one run by one company with
a nominal productive capacity of 1,250
metric tons.
This is a purely munitions industry. There is virtually no article for civil demand
that cannot be produced without this
industry. Its present high cost of production will not enable it to compete with other
metal producing industries on a paying
basis. Once this high production cost problem is solved, the industry will bid fair
for development in the realm of civil
demand. For instance, the annual demand of about 500 metric tons is promised, for
apparatus necessary
- 4 -
ECONOMIC SERIES: 11 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
for photographic plates for printing, electric batteries photography, and the like.
The production of magnesium is expected to be reinstituted some time during the last
quarter of the fiscal year 1945-46.
Flouride: Crystallized aluminum fluoride necessary for the electrolysis of aluminum used to
be
imported from abroad. Partly because of the import restriction attendant upon the
exchange control and partly on a rapid
development of the aluminum industry in JAPAN, the industry badly needed fluoride.
This chemical product was industrialized as
a result of study at small pharmaceutical laboratories, but the foundation of production
was not solid. Its production has
been taken up gradually by special manufacturers since late in 1938 and their production
technique was nearly up to the mark.
Later, aluminum manufacturers also started its production.
In 1943 the monthly productive capacity of crystallized stones was 2,300 metric tons
and that of aluminum fluoride was 400
metric tons. In line with the expansion program of aluminum production during the
letter half of the year, the production of
fluoride was to be doubled. The expansion work was progressing fairly and was expected
to be completed during 1944. This
project was hindered when the importation of bauxite was made difficult during, the
latter part of 1945 and the aluminum
industry was forced to go by the use of materials obtained at home instead of depending
upon imported bauxite.
Accordingly, the expansion program for fluoride production was reduced by one third.
To make matters worse, the lack of
hydrofluoric acid caused the production to drop off sharply during the first quarter
of 1944. This was not the only
trouble.
Erratic supply of soda ash and coal subsequently forced most of the fluoride factories
operated by the aluminum manufacturers
to stop production during October 1944. Business readjustment also was enforced on
special manufacturers of fluoride in
January 1945. This condition continues up to date.
The number of fluoride manufacturing plants in JAPAN is six operated by four special
manufacturers and four operated by four
companies interested in the manufacturing as their sidelines; that in KOREA is one
operated by one special manufacturing
company and one operated as a sideline; and that in MANCHURIA is one operated by one
company as its sideline.
ITEM 5 Report on Fibre Products - Nippon Sangyo-Keizai - 12 Nov 45. Translator: H. Shindo
Extracts:
The Fibre Control Association must report all fibre products in stock and produced
monthly to Supreme Headquarters. As this
report is the only one that contains data on fibre production in JAPAN, and as it
has nothing to do with the importation of
raw materials, the association requires every member company to prepare the following
detailed information.
- 1.Report to Supreme Headquarters will cover the previous month and must be submitted by 20th of this month. Every member company must submit its information to the association by the 15th. - 5 -
- ECONOMIC SERIES: 11 (Continued) ITEM 5 (Continued)
- 2.The report must contain a list of the goods, and all the fibre products in stock and
the amount produced monthly
of the following:
- a.Artificial fibers: Artificial silk pulp; artificial silk, staple fibre.
- b.Cotton staple fibre: Cotton thread, staple fibre thread, cotton-spinning silk thread, miscellaneous fibres, silk thread, cotton thread mixed with silk.
- c.Wool: Woolen comb thread, woolen spun thread.
- d.Hemp; Flax, ramie, jute.
- e.Products: Hosiery goods, gloves and socks for soldiers, stockings.
- f.Textile: Artificial silk textile, natural silk textile, staple-fibre textile, silk-cloth, woolen-cloth, hemp cloth.
- 3.The association must show accounts of products in stock, thread held in stock by spinning, companies, and cloth in stock.
- 4.Spinning companies must show raw materials in stock.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
- 6 -
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