Tackling the Japanese

Having witnessed in my lifetime the complete domination by the Japanese of industries such as cameras, televisions, radios, and motorcycles, we are on the verge of seeing them repeating the process not only with road cars, but also with Formula One engines.

There have, here in the USA, been many discussions regarding “protectionist” measures we might take to preserve what industry we have left and to react to their own protectionist measures (they will not buy our abundant rice, for example).

The Japanese here have already taken measures to counteract any protectionism by proudly selling cars such as the Accura, as “produced by American Honda”.

How long will it be before Austin Rover becomes “British Honda”?

Solutions? Many who spent the war in the Pacific suggest we should pull out our defense from the area. I happen to agree — if we had all those engineers currently employed in defense working to build consumer orientated products, I feel sure we would build not only the proverbial mouse-trap better, but some pretty good cars as well.

l can only admire what the Japanese have done and find it fascinating that still, I believe, the highest award available to Japanese industry is the “Demming Award”. Demming (an American economist) had in the 1950s an idea nobody would listen to in our countries. The Japanese listened, and look where it got them.

GRAHAM YATES