MANCHURIAN PROBLEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1932, Page 3

MANCHURIAN PROBLEMS

MANY CONFLICTING INTERESTS. The conditions in Manchuria that have led up to the present trouble between (the Chinese and the Japanese at Shanghai are reviewed in the accompanying article, by Mr Edgar Foa. Jn t .he shows the way. in which the interests of the two have come to Conflict in that area, and traces the ;course of events up to (the end of (last year, ljust before The commencement of the present outbreak. The first and main point is that the largo (tract jof land known as Manchuria is, and has been for years past, in a thoroughly lawless and unsettled condition, being subject to no real Government .administration at ail. It belongs to China, and is .inhabited by a Chinese population to the number of about thirty millions. Owing in great part (to the financial chaos which exists throughout, the vast territory i. of the newly established republic, that ] territory is at the present time in a < highly disturbed condition; and it would be strange if Manchuria formed ; an exception to the general rule, sec- c ing that it is 'bordered, and to a great £ ■exWut controlled, by the foreign r “spheres of influence” of both Japan c and Russia. • i

THE MANCHURIAN RAILWAY. The Japanese have, beside;, this, long povssessed an interest of great importance,’in the country in the .shape of a long lease of the South Manchurian railway line, connecting the heart of the province with Korea and the Yellow 'Sea; a lease which, together with .that of a surrounding zone of land and .the right to keep a large contingent of troops to guard it, they oh tained -as the result of their war with Russia a quarter of a century ago. Japan also makes further claims, arising out of the same sources, in re- J gard to the railway. But .these claims are not admitted by the Chinese, and I a constant state of friction between the two nations has been the outcome of them. In addition, the province is to a large extent overrun by bandits, with . whom the nominal Chinese Governor, I who is greatly disliked by the Japan-! ese ; appears to be quite powerless to I deal. The iwhole country is rich in ; coal and other raw materials, which ' have attracted the Japanese to make large investments; and .although the •severity of the climate in winter has always prevented them from actually colonising ilt for agricultural purposes, their settlers number about 100,000, whilst the Koreans, more or less under .

Japanese protection, number perhaps ten (times as many more. What prosperity Manchuria ha.s enjoyed is beyond doubt greatly due to Japanese effort, though the Chinese may also he said to have contributed to its development, especially perhaps in the con-

struct ion of another system of railways competing with the Japanese, and so adding flo the already existing friction. DISPUTE LAST YEAR. It was in connexion with the railways that the trouble, arotse. The essential fads are in dispute between the parties, a circumstance which, especially having regard to the enormous distance which separates the scene of affairs from {Geneva, to say nothing of the censorship imposed on communications, has formed another of the great difficulties encountered by the League m the matter. This discrepancy in the respective accounts goes back to the beginning.

Tho Japanese version is that one night in the middle of September last acts of wanton destruction were committed by '‘Chinese Itfoops” on the Japanese railway line near /the city of Mukden, whilst the Chinese assert that the incident, such as it wets, was wholly faked by the Japanese themselves. However true this may have been there can be no doubt that the latter kook the matter into their own hands. They took possession of Mukden, bombarded and burnt three or four of the neighbouring towns, seized the Chinese railways, and deposed tli" civil authorilties in many places, sqbistitnting for them .officials of their own.

ACTS OF .AGGRESSION. Subsequently, they appear to have committed further arbitrary acts, such as .seizing v in different places the revenue of the salt tax, and encouraging in many ways the various autonomist movements rife, in the province. Their action extended over a wide area ; it was swift; it was efficient in every detail. To say the least, this suggests 'that 'it took place in pursuance of a long-arranged plan. And though the Japanese Government issued some instructions to -prevent the extension of the campaign, these were apparently .quite disregarded both by the War Office itself (which in Japan seems, through an abuse of the old Samurai tradition, to act independently of the Goveniiik/iiO and by the troops who took part in it.

The Chinese Government, under the conditions which prevailed, was helpless in 'the whole matter, and after issuing general larders shat the lives id Japanese citizens throughout China should he protected as tar as possible, "threw up the sponge" and appealed to the Council of the League, mulct Article 11 of tho Covenant, whirl) pro vides that "any war or 'threat ol war shall be .a malt ter of ronrrrn to Ihe whole League,” which shall (hereupon "take sui'h action as may tend to safeguard tho peace oi nations.”