Mandates Body Reports on Japanese Dumping

The question of Japanese “dumping” of exports in Palestine came to a head today when the League of Nations Mandates Commission demanded to know why Japan, which left the League last March, should enjoy the equal trade rights in Palestine guaranteed League members.

The commission, in a report to the forthcoming session of the League Council made public today, raises the question whether Japan can still operate under Article 18 of the Palestine Mandate which reserves equal export rights in Palestine to League members.

Although Japan quit the League last March, her representatives are still serving on a number of technical bodies of the League.

The commission’s report, containing one general and nine special observations, views with satisfaction the favorable economic and financial position of Palestine and the growth of cooperation with the Arabs.

The Palestine government’s decision to introduce measures protecting women and children in industry and looking toward establishment of a minimum wage scale drew the approval of the commission. The report further recommends inauguration of factory inspection and a legal weekly day of rest, especially for dock laborers.

The report approves measures adopted by the Palestine government to prevent illegal immigration into the country. The promise of the Mandatory Power to establish immediately frontier delimitations between Transjordan and Hedjaz, and to hasten construction of a harbor at Akaba, are noted with satisfaction.

Some concern for the Arabs is expressed in various parts of the report. The Mandates Commission expresses the hope that the government will solve the problem of the landless Arabs, and recommends establishment by the Palestine government of dwellings for Arab workers.

The report requests fuller information on the administration of Transjordan, particularly as regards the political situation, labor conditions and the traffic in drugs and spirits.