JAPANESE OFFICIAL: U.S. `LAZY'

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 21, 1992                   TAG: 9201210163
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: From The New York Times and The Associated Press
DATELINE: TOKYO                                LENGTH: Medium
JAPANESE OFFICIAL: U.S. `LAZY'
One of Japan's most senior politicians said over the weekend that America's economic troubles were rooted in a work force "too lazy" to compete with Japan, and argued that one of the biggest problems of the United States was that nearly a third of its workers "cannot even read."
The harshly worded assessment by Yoshio Sakurauchi, 79, the speaker of Japan's powerful lower house of Parliament, seemed bound to fuel the trans- acific arguments over the causes of America's trade and competitiveness difficulties with Japan.
Furthermore, on Monday, Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa and one of Japan's leading car manufacturers said that contrary to statements, Japan had made no commitment during President Bush's trade summit to buy U.S. autos and parts.
A top Bush administration official responded Monday by saying if the Japanese are backing off their auto-import goals, then there will be "a very negative reaction" in the United States.
Japan meanwhile bowed to U.S. pressure and announced a pledge to open bidding to foreign companies on $3.3 billion worth of government-purchased computer products and services.
Miyazawa and Toyota Motor Corp.'s chairman, Eiji Toyoda, sought to dispel expectations that Japan was bound to meet auto-purchasing targets set Jan. 9.
Miyazawa told NHK television a summit announcement that Japanese auto makers would try to import nearly 20,000 Big Three vehicles and $10 billion more in auto parts was "a target rather than a firm promise."
Reached Monday at the speaker's office, one of Sakurauchi's political secretaries, Kyoshi Tsuchida, confirmed the gist of the press reports. But he said that another political secretary said that while Sakurauchi described illiteracy as a widespread problem among American workers, he did not mention a figure of 30 percent.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB