Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY. JULY 16, 1929 TROUBLE IN MANCHURIA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 16 July 1929, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY. JULY 16, 1929 TROUBLE IN MANCHURIA

A YEAR ago, Mr Nicholas Roosevelt, author of "The Restless Pacific," wrote thus of the country through which passes the) Chinese Eastern Railway, which is a bone of contention between the Soviet and Manchurian Governments:— Manchuria, aptlv described as the "Belgium, of the Far East," has been the battleground of international rivalries for n half-century, and promises to be so for years to come. Today the principal rivals are China, Japan and Russia, with the last-nam-ed for the moment in the background. The factors in the Manchurian situation are manifold and complicated. A little more than twelve months ago, when Chang Tso-lin, President of the Manchurian Republic, was defeated by the Chinese Nationalist armies, in the neighbourhood of Peking, and was murdered as he was travelling by train to Mukden, his capital, he was succeeded by his son, Chang Hsueh-liang, commonly called Young Chang,' who, patching up a peace with' the Nationalist generals of China, seems to have succeeded in preserving the independence of Manchuria, while tacitly acknowledging the power and prestige of China Proper The next factor i s the Japanese overlordship of Manchuria. Japan's position in relation to that country was put clearly enough by the Japanese Vice-President „f the. South Manchurian Railway, soon after the murder of Marshal Chang : No war in Manchuria, would continue to be the foundation principle, of Japan's policy. Peace even at aim. Call that a protectorate if you will . . but do not charge us with a desire to interfere in Chinese politics. The Japanese have invested immense sums of money in Manchuria, principally in railway construction, and clearly it is to their interest to maintain peace in the country, and there is no doubt that they will prevent either the Chinese of the south or the Russians of the north from overrunning Manchuria with their troops. The new Chinese Government, however, js interested in the welfare of the millions of Chinese who in recent years have emigrated to Manchuria, where they have occupied land opened up by the new railways, constructed chiefly by the Japanese. That brings us to the consideration of the complications of Manchuria's rail-way-system, which are the direct cause of the threatened breach between the Soviet, and Manchurian Governments. The Russians are interested in what <s known as the Chinese Eastern Railway which links up the Trans-Siberian Railway with Vladivostock by way of Harbin. It is 1067 miles in length, and until recently was managed by Russian officials. The Japanese have built what is known as the South Manchurian Railway, which they manage with conspicuous success. The Chinese own and manage some 800 mile s of line, which they ;ue increasing as fast as they can obtain the necessary money. These three systems of railway are linked up, but only the Japanese lines are a paying nronosition. Tt has been known for some time that there was friction between the Mukden Government anil the Russians, in connection with the railway in which they are interested conjointly. But it was never thought that. high-handed measures, such as those

which appear to have been resorted to by Young Chang, would have been used. That they have been used seems to indicate that the Manchurian Government, the Chinese Nationalist Government, and the Japanese Government have como to an understanding in relation to the Soviot Government's position in Northern Manchuria. Wliatover may be the rights and wrongs of the steps which have been taken to dismiss the Russian officials, it looks as if any reprisal by the Soviot Government, such as the invasion of Manchuria, would bo resisted not only by the Marichurian Government, but by the Governments of China and Japan. In such circumstances the Russian Government would be in a dilemma, since it would find it most difficult to carry on a war at such a great distance from Moscow, and in no caso could hope to be successful if Japan were to exercise her protectorate over Manchuria by giving military assistance to repel the invasion of that country by Russian troops. We do not know what Russia's commitments are in tho matter of peace pacts, but it is to be noticed that she has presented to the Mukden Government a demand for an immediate conference to regulato the question of tho Chinese Eastern Railway, and if that conference is held there should be no great difficulty in referring to arbitration such points as cannot bo agreed upon by the parties concerned. If the Mukden Government should refuse a conference, the consensus of international opinion would probably bo adverse, and, in that case, it might be difficult for Japan or China to give Manchuria anything more effective than moral support.