The Business Activities of Mitsubishi in Prewar France

Terushi HARA

doi:10.5029/jrbh1984.17.7

Terushi HARA

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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2001 Volume 17 Pages 7-34

DOI https://doi.org/10.5029/jrbh1984.17.7

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Published: March 15, 2001 Received: - Available on J-STAGE: June 28, 2010 Accepted: - Advance online publication: - Revised: -
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Date of correction: June 28, 2010 Reason for correction: - Correction: CITATION Details: Right : 1Nobuo Kawabe,Sogo shosha no kenkyu-senzen Mitsubishi Shoji no zaibei katsudo[Studies of the general trading companies:Mitsubishi Trading Co.'s prewar activities in the United States](Jikkyo Shuppan,1982).
2See,for example,Yasuaki Nagasawa,Mitsubishi Shoji seiritsu shi no kenkyu[Studies of the establishment of Mitsubishi Trading Co.](Nihon Keizai Hybronsha,1990),and Pernille Rudlin,The History of Mitsubishi Corporation in London,1915to the Present Day(London and New York,2000).
3Kanzo Tanaka,ed.,Ritsugyb boeki roku[Record of beginnings in trade](1983),p.916.In this essay I am using“Mitsubishi France”as a convenient shorthand for the full French title:Societe Anonyme Francaise Mitsubishi.
4Ibid.,pp.245-47.
5Mitsubishi Shashi Editorial Association,ed.,Mitsubishi shashi[The Mitsubishi bulletin],vol.33,p.6685.Reprinted by Tokyo University Press,1981.
6Mitsubishi Corporation,comp.,Mitsubishi Shoji shashi[Mitsubishi Corporation history],in2vols.,1986.Scattered descriptive references to Mitsubishi France can be found in volume one.
7Mitsubishi Corporation,comp.,Kyil Mitsubishi Shoji zenshi dai-hachikan basho-shi dai-juichi bunsatsu)[Complete history of the old Mitsubishi Trading Co.:Volume8,location histories(separate volume no.11)](1997),pp.45-81.
8I am grateful to Mr.Seiichi Narita,managing director of the Mitsubishi Business Research Institute,and to Mr.Takeshi Sogabe,head of the archives division of the Mitsubishi Archives,for their assistance in making these sources available to my perusal.I am likewise grateful for the helpful information I received from Prof.Tsunehiko Yui of Bunkyo Women's University.
9For more on these historical sources please see my“Shiryo shokai”[Introduction to historical materials],Mitsubishi Archives Review,vol.2,2001.
10Letter of Teisaburo Kuga,“Toho soshiki henko ni kansuru ken,”Mitsubishi Archives,MC-4432-1.
11Document relating to establishment of Mitsubishi France,“Toho soshiki henko ni kansuru ikensho,”28Jan.1924,addressed to London branch office head.Mitsubishi Archives,MC-2368.
12These documents have been available for public perusal since1992.I am indebted to Hisao Ikegami of the Japan Foreign Trade Council and to Kazuhiko Tojo,general director of Mitsubishi Corporation S.A.,for their kind assistance.
13For more on Teisaburo Kuga see Noboru Oyama(president of Mitsubishi Corporation S.A.),Furansu Mitsubishi shoshi[A brief history of Mitsubishi in France](Nihon Keizai Shinbun,21July1998);Kuga Teisaburo ryakureki[A brief summary of the career of T.Kuga],1959;and Pari no fukkatsusai[Easter in Paris](Kuga's memoirs).I am grateful to Mr.Oyama,president of Mitsubishi Corporation S.A.at the time of my visit there on15Sept.1999,for giving me access to these historical materials and for helping me with the readings of proper names.
14Une lettre pour M.T.Kuga,Fondateur de la Societe Anonyme Francaise Mitsubishi(en formation)de la part de Banque de l'Union Parisienne,le4juin1924.Archives du Monde du Travail[hereafter,AMT],34AQ6.
15This can be found in AMT,34AQ6;see Societe Anonyme Francaise Mitsubishi,Status,Paris1924.
16Tanaka,Record of Beginnings in Trade,p.939.
17AMT,34AQ2.
18Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,Reunion du Conseil d'Administration en date du16 juin1924,AMT,34AQ2.
19Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le25juin1926,AMT,34AQ2.
20Ibid.,le17septembre1926,AMT,34AQ2.
21Tanaka,Record of Beginnings in Trade,p.237.
22Ibid.,pp.245-47.
23Ibid.,p.245.
24Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,5decembre1924,34AQ2.
25Rapport du Commissaire aux Comptes a l'Assemblee Generale Ordinaire du10juin1926,AMT,34AQ6.
26Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le8juin1926,AMT,34AQ2.
27Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le24aout1926,AMT,34AQ2.
28Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le3novembre1926,AMT,34AQ2.
29Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le2juin1927,AMT,34AQ2.The above dealings between Mitsubishi and the Dewoitine company are also described in a French work on the history of the airplane industry:Emmanuel Chadeau,Histoire de l'Industrie Aeronautique en France1900-1950(Paris),pp.200-204.
30Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le10septembre1924,AMT,34AQ2.
31Idem,le5decembre1924,AMT,34AQ2.
32Rapport du Conseil d'Administration a l'Assemblee Generale du30juin1928,AMT,34AQ6.
33Rapport du Conseil...du27juin1929,AMT,34AQ6.
34Rapport du Commissaire aux Comptes a l'Assemblee Generale du27juin1929,AMT,34AQ6.
35These can all be found in AMT,34AQ6.
36Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le29fevrier1928,AMT,34AQ2.
37Rapport du Conseil...du9juin1932,AMT,34AQ6.
38Rapport du Conseil d'Administration a l'Assemblee Generale Extraordinaire du29Oct.1932,AMT,34AQ6.
39Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le7mars1929,AMT,34AQ2.
40Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le20mars1930,AMT,34AQ2.
41Rapport du Conseil d'Administration al'Assemblee Generale du27juillet1933,AMT,34AQ6.
42Pp.77-80of the work cited in footnote7above.
43Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le15fevrier1934,AMT,34AQ2.
44Rapport du Conseil d'Administration al'Assemblee Generale du21juin1934,AMT,34AQ6.
45Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le5aout1937,AMT,34AQ2.
46Rapport du Conseil d'Administration al'Assemblee Generale du21juillet1938,AMT,34AQ7.
47Rapport du Conseil d'Administration al'Assemblee Generale du27juillet1933,AMT,34AQ6.
48Rapport du Conseil d'Administration al'Assemblee Generale du24juillet1935,AMT,34AQ6.
49See footnote47.
50Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le21juillet1938,AMT,34AQ2.
51Ibid.
52Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le25novembre1935,AMT,34AQ2.
53Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le22fevre1936,AMT,34AQ2.
54Rapport du Conseil d'Administration a l'Assemblee Generale du31juillet1934,AMT,34AQ7.
55Rapport du Conseil d'Administration a l'Assemblee Generale du25juin1942,AMT,34AQ7.
56Proes-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le25mars1943,AMT,34AQ4.
57Cultured Pearls(March1939),AMT,34AQ32.
58For more on these negotiations,see a ten-page report entitled“The Matter of Cargo Seized in French Ports”and dated18September1942,from the Mitsubishi France executive named Takeichi Iwao addressed to the head of the Control Section of the Business Affairs Division.AMT,34AQ81.
59Proces-Verbaux du Conseil d'Administration,le6avril1944,AMT,34AQ4.
60Rapport du Conseil d'Administration a l'Assemblee Generale Extraordinaire du27juillet1944,AMT,34AQ7.
61Based on a letter from the Inspecteur des Domaines,charge du Sequestre addressed to Monsieur le Controleur du Chiffres d'Affaires,dated11April1945.AMT,34AQ26.
62Mitsubishi Shoji shashi(see full reference,footnote6above),vol.1,pp.610-12.
63Ibid.,vol.2,p.192.

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