MANCHURIAN CRISIS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5454, 29 July 1929, Page 4

MANCHURIAN CRISIS.

(Written for the “Hauraki Plains Gazette,” by Arpad Scigetvary.) [The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the Editor.] The friction between China and Russia over the Chinese Eastern Railway looks suspiciously as though it might have been engineered by Japan. The Nipponese have had covetous eyes on Manchuria ever since the days of the Sino-Japanese war. Upon the conclusion of that conflict Japan retained the Kwantung Peninsula, on which are Port Arthur and Dalng, only to be dislodged by the European Powers, whereupon Russia took possession. Foiled in her first attempt, Japan resorted to peaceful penetration of Manchuria and Korea, a policy that culminated in the Russo Japanese war. The Kwangtung Peninsula once again fell into Japanese hands, and with it the whole of South Manchuria, from being a Russian sphere of influence, passed into the hands of Japan. Later the Island Empire's designs on Korea were successfully accomplished with the deposition of the Korean king and the overthrow of China’s somewhat shadowy surzeranity over that decayed land. Japan’s intention, of course, was the use of the great Manchurian plains as an outlet for her teeming thousands, barred as they were from emigration to other countries. Since the days of the Russo-Japanese war Japan has retained in Manchuria various settlements that are to all intents and purposes integral parts of the Empire. Each one of them is garrisoned by Japanese troops. Before that war the whole of the railway from the Siberian border to Vladivostock whs controlled by Russia, and was known as the Chinese Eastern Railwayr Afterwards, by the Treaty of Portsmouth, Russia retained the northern section and Japan was ceded the southern, the name of which she changed—with her usual penchant for altering krg-accepted nomenclature —to South Manchurian Railway. To make her grip on Manchuria with the railway and settlements even more secure, Japan took advantage of the internal dissension following upon the overthrow of the age-old Empire and the establishing of a republic in that country, to erect Manchuria into a quasi independent State, with a native of her own choice as the figure head. They chose Chang tso lin, quondan mounted robber of the Robin Hood type, and ally of Japan in the RussoJapanese war. But for once, for all their astuteness, they backed the wrong man. Chang tso lin turned out a true Manchurian patriot, and used the Russians and Japanese alternately to suit his own ends and those of his country. While Chang ruled, Japan was thwarted in her ambitions.

Last year the train in which Marshal Chang tso lin was returning to Mukden—his northern capital and stronghold--from a conference with the South China leaders, was blown up—very mysteriously-. Chang, who had ruled his country with an iron .and happiness to his countrymen, was hand, who had brought peace, plenty, blown up with the train, and so passed to his fathers. Upon his death—chaos. His successor, his son, preferred more the attractions of motor-ears, wine, and women to his duties to his country. He capitulated and sold his country to the Nationalist Government. The one unit of the old Chinese Empire that retained Jaw and order under the republican regime became as one with the rest of unhappy China.

After practically every incident that could possibly be construed into one that might conceivably cause a breach of the peace had been connived at, Japan has found an excuse to increase her garrisons in Manchuria to "protect” the rights of her subjects there. As year succeeded year the Japanese population of Mancl uria ipcreased. Then came an unexpected check. The internecine strife in China proper, and the insecurity of life and property there, caused thousands, which soon mounted to the double million, of Northern Chinese —Shantungese, Chilese, and others—near the border to emigrate to Manchuria, to occupy there the- open spaces Japan looked longingly on as ground for her own people. Worse for the Japanese, these hardy Northern Chinese proved not only more readily adaptable to Manchurian conditions and land than Japan’s nationals, but they began developing the land at far less cost than the Japanese could hope to. Their standard of living was lower ; not in any debasing way, but more frugal, and their wants less. So this everincreasing encroaching of Chinese into what Japan had considered her own playground would seem to have caused Japan a desire for irorc complete control of Southern Manchuria. That brings cnc to the p -esent day. Friction between China and xussi::— and what a glorious opportunity and hood-winking excuse to despatch more troops for the “protection” of her nationals presented itself to Japan ! On another occasion within the past year an opportunity had risen for Japan to “justify” the augmenting of her garrison, bat the Kellogg Pact came at an untimely moment, and in face of her protestations of sincerity in regard to it Japan could not well carry out such a brazen act at the time. • Now, once again, the loophole is opened, and Japan announces her intention to send the long-prepared and long-delayed extra battalions to Mukden. Verp sap. The chance has come. China has called Russia’s bluff, and called it. apparently, successfully. But the fellow who made the bullets for China to fire and remained in the background, remains now more fully established in the background of Southern Manchuria. Whatever the outcome of the hoped peaceful solution of the Chinese-Russian friction in Manchuria, Japan is there in the southern part more securely entrenched than ever before. If China's internal strife dees not cease, and thereby automatically stop the emigration of Northern Chinese, Japan’s next

move will be to come to some arrangement with the Nationalist Government at Nanking whereby their migration into Manchuria will be curbed and eventually forbidden. Then will the long years of Japan’s plotting and political machinations bear fruit and Japan gain her ambition—a huge new territory at her very threshold for her surplus population. And row, a word of Manchuria and her people may not be amiss. The Manchurians are a tall, powerfullybuilt race of completely different language and characteristics from the physically insignificant average man of China proper. There are, of course, exceptions, for the northerners of China are akin in many ways to the Manchurians, but through their being descendants of the latter that is easily explained. Some of the Chinese mountaineers are just as big as the Manchurian, but there the affinity ceases. The Manchu’s eyes are oval and set wide apart, like the Caucasian’s; their skin not yellowish, but brown, with noses fairly well defined, Among the aristocracy are to be found fairskinned men and women with classical Graeco-Roman noses. The Manchu is an honest, plodding sort of an individual, not so quick witted as the Southern Chinese, but as trustworthy and dependable as the latter is not. They make horsemen of unexcelled prowess, and are brave, fearless fighters. They are of the people against whom the Chinese two hundred years before Christ built their Great Wall as a protection. It was of no avail. The Manchurian hordes swept over it and overran the whole of China, establishing their leadei’ as Emperor of China; making their language the official one ; and making the Chinese wear the pigtail as a sign of subjection to them. From that date until 1910 and the establishing of a socalled republic, they ruled China, and, what is of more importance, during most of that time ruled it wisely and well.

Of the country itself, it may safely be said that it is one of the most potentially rich areas, both from the point of view of agriculture and minerals, in the world. Coal is there in abundance, with the mines already open—in the hands, naturally, of Japan. The other mineral resources have yet to be tapped and exploited. The principal agricultural products of Manchuria 1 are millet (a type of maize) and the marvellous soya bean. From the latter—of which Manchuria is the principal and almost sole exporter in the world—are made milk, flour, margarine, cooking oil, and a host of other things. It forms the basis of most of our sauces. Not one particle of the bean is wasted, for after the oil has been extracted the residue is pressed together to become cattle cakes. The pure oil itself is rapidly superseding olive oil among the peoples of the Mediterranean, as it is cheaper and serves the desired purpose just as well. Manchuria is also a great- cattle country. Immense herds wander, semi-wild, over her vast, flat spaces. Little or no milking, beyond for domestic use, is done, the beasts being bred for their meat, which goes as far afield as the Phillipines.