Imported Cars

I read that Ford and General Motors requested relief from the federally mandated automobile mileage standards, the reason being that the American public wanted big gas-guzzling cars, not small high-mileage cares.

Later, I read that Japan plans to increase its volume of car imports to the U.S. next year, “shocking” the U.S. auto industry. Ford was quoted as saying, “It’s almost incredible that Japan would consider increasing the flood.” The flood, in this case, is of small high-mileage cars, which Japan does so well.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it seems to me there is a flaw somewhere in Ford’s and General Motor’s line of reasoning.

JOHN H. TERRELL

San Diego