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advance
news
in
the wake
of
today's WORLD EVENTS
•
Japanese lndustry Searching
European Markets for
11
lnsurance"
Japan has launched a massive commercial invasion
inco Europe. Worries abouc overdependence on Unircd
Sraces markers and mounring resisrance in che Unicecl
Sraces ro Japanese goods are ac che roor of chis European
sales rhrusr.
Japanese exporrs ro Wcscern Europe doubled be–
rween 1967 and 1970. Sales in 1971 reached an escimaced
$3.2 billion. This year, exporrs will probably dimb above
$3.5 billion and could easily double again by 1976.
More rhan almosr any orhcr counrry, Japan muse ex–
porr ro survive. Conseguenrly, if rrade difficul cies wich che
Unicecl Srares concinue ro mounc and exporcs drop off. che
slack will have ro be made up elsewhere - namely, in
Europe. European businessmen are worried.
The Japanese push inco Europe is proceeding on a
number of fronrs:
(1)
incrcasing exporcs;
(2)
escab–
lishmenr of banks in European cicies; (3) direcc invesr·
menes in joinr venrures wi eh European companies; (4)
cakeovers of European firms; and (5) escablishmenr of fac–
cory operations on Europcan
soil.
The expon drive is led by sceel, ships, autos, chcm–
icals, rexriles, TV secs, radios, and cameras.
West Germany and Bricain are che primary cargecs in
che commercial offensivc. In Düsseldorf (the "Tokyo of
Europe"), for example, chere are over 1,750 Japanese
working for sorne 120 companies. Orher Japanese bridge–
heads include London, Hamburg, París, Milan, and
Vienna.
Japan's growing commercial presence in Europe is,
nacurally, provoking prorecrionist reacrions. In order ro
minimize these, Japan is procceding more cauriously rhan
she did in her crade invasion of che Un ired Srares - seek–
ing ro averc any major conflicrs.
For over rwo years, Japan has been negoriacing wich
che Common Markec for a trade agreemenr involving re–
ciproca! liberalizarion. The main poinc of conrencion has
been che desire by che Europeans for a ·•safeguard clause"
ro prevenr rheir markecs from being Aooded by Japanese
exporr goods.
8
Japan is also beginning a push inco Easc Euro¡x."an
markecs as a result of prcscnc or impending rescricrions of
Japanese rrade wirh che Uniced States and Wcstcrn
Europe.
•
U. S.-German Space Cooperation
A David and a Goliarh in rhe world of space rech–
nology - Wesc Germany and che Unired Srares - are
developing an acmosphere of cooperacion rhac is "fanras–
ric," according ro Wesr Gcrman scienrisr, Herr Ancs
Kurzcr.
Herr Kurzer is che German Projcct Manager of Proj–
ccr Helios, a joinc U. S.-West German space probe ro be
launched roward che sun in 1974. The probe wiJI Ay by
che sun closer chan any ocher man-made probe ever has
and will help man underscand che physics influencing life
on Earch by examining che acmosphere of che sun.
The projecc is rhe largesc cooperacive efforc in space
research ever undercaken joinrly by che cwo governmenrs
and is financed by a budgec of over $150 million.
At che end of April, over 80 of the German scicnciscs
involved in che program flew ro California's Jer Pro–
pulsion Laboracory (JPL) in Pasadena for one of a series of
scmiannuaJ meecings aimed ar building che necessary com–
municacion and cooperarion berween che rwo ceams.
A banguer held for che visicing sciencisrs ac nearby
Ambassador Collegc exemplified che warm friendship and
che ·'famascic" acmosphere of cooperation spoken of br
Herr Kurzer.
Projecc Helios is a
JOint
efforc in space for a very
good reason. As Projecc Manager Kuczer explained,
"Space is too expensive ro be cackled on your own - in–
cernational cooperation is cssencial."
Warch for greacer coopcration berween Washington
and Bonn on space research and ocher sciencific macrers.
•
Dispute Over Vital Sealane Looms
Increasing big-power accivicy in che Indian Ocean
has spodighced one of che world's oldesr and busiesc ship·
ping lanes - che Srrair of Malacca.
This srrair, which divides Malaysia from che Indone-
PLAIN TRUTH July 1972