Japanese Penetration in China

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 142, 13 March 1942, Page 5

Japanese Penetration in China

N 1911, the socialist, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, became the first president of republican China. Meanwhile Japan had already embarked upon her war of conquest in China, The island of Formosa had been unceremoniously seized in 1880, and fourteen years later the Chinese were compelled to resign any claim to Korea. In 1915, Japan, taking advantage of the pre-occupation of the great Powers in the European War, delivered to China a document known as the Twenty-one Demands. China was forced to accept, thus placing herself entirely in the hands of the Japanese. But, at the end of the war, the treaty was quickly nullified by the great Powers. Sun Yat Sen died in 1925. On his death, the Government Party of China, known as the Kuomintang, split into two parties, Left and Right. One of Sun Yat Sen’s chief lieutenants, Chiang Kai-Shek, became leader of the Right Wing. Slowly gathering together the strength of China, he dissembled with the Japanese, giving away as little as possible to their insolent demands. But at last, in 1937, he was allowed by his own people to retreat no further. The war began. -("National Service Talk," "Chungking and the New Order," 2YA, February 23.)