We Should Give Japan U.S. Business ‘Expertise’

Michael Schrage’s column, “Hiding Knowledge Won’t Aid Competition” (Dec. 20), discussed U.S. fears that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s contract to help a Japanese university set up a research facility on new media technologies will harm American competitiveness.

Schrage notes that the critics’ concerns are unwarranted. To help set these critics’ minds at ease, we could counteract this technology transfer by setting up a division of Harvard Business School in Tokyo.

In no time at all, the Japanese industrialists would be implementing our innovative business techniques: debt-laden acquisitions, short-term profit standards, etc., and then they would be as screwed up as we are.

BOB KERBER

Oceanside

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