§ Commander BELLAIRSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the accounts relating to the trade of foreign countries dealing with the imports of Japan include the imports of Government stores such as, for instance, armour plate, steel plates, and machinery used for building warships?
§ Sir P. LLOYD-GREAMENone of the commodities specified in the question are separately enumerated in the official Japanese import returns, but the following classes of commodities are definitely stated to be excluded therefrom, namely:
The returns referred to furnish no information as to whether imports on Government account of warship materials, such as armour plate, steel plates and machinery, are included under categories (b) and (d) above. Further, the Japanese import returns do not indicate whether 470W such commodities, if imported on private account by individual firms or persons engaged in the construction of warships for the Imperial Japanese Government, are included in or excluded from the returns.
- (a) Articles for Imperial use.
- (b) Arms, ammunition and explosives imported by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy.
- (c) Mineral oils, for use as fuel, imported by the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy.
- (d) War vessels.
- (e) Articles for the use of foreign Embassies, Legations and Consulates.
- (f) Aquatic products caught or gathered by vessels which set out for the purpose from Japan.