Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19
Remarkable State of Affairs
in Russian City.
NO NIGHT TELEGRAMS SENT
Neither Life Nor Property Is Safe
There.
NO POLICE IN THE STREETS
Unsafe to Venture Out After Dark
Trade at a Standardization
Outlook for the Future.

LONDON. April 1S.-A particularly in
teresting description of conditions in Har-
hin and Mukden. in view of the recent
discussion over the government of Har-
hin and the trouble with the Japanese at
the American consulate in Mukden.
Is contained in letter written by the cor
respondent at Peking of the Reuter- News
Agency. The letter. dated March 20. fol-
lows:
During a recent tour in Manchuria i
visited Hardin. a remarkable state of
affairs exists there. The Russian town
is governed and dominated by private
railway COMPANY. the Chinese Eastern
Railway. the chairman of which styles
himself the civil governor. The govern
ment CT the company cannot be regarded
as satisfactory
Neither life nor property is afe. and
II is as much a mans life is worth TO
venture out after dark. IT is impossible
to send a telegram after the sun has gone
Gown. as nobody can be induced TO risk
his life for love or money to go to the
Imperial Chinese Telegraph Administra-
ton. which is i'm the Chinese town some
distance away. nor can a telegram be de-
livered in the Russian town after dark for
telegraph works Indifferent Ii is often
found that a letter is delivered more
quickly than a telegram. What strikes
one most about the Russian town is the
absence of any police in the streets. and
the sold ers who are there do no police
work. much as it is needed.
Lack of Money.
Trade is at standstill and probably
will continue so as long as the present
conditions last. The Russians themselves
grumble at the lack of money in the
nIo
Eases. arson. with view to securing in
surance money is suspected The Chi
nese town is in much better condition
and is policed.
The main topic of conversation was the
question of the new municipal regulations
arbitrarily exercised functions to a kind
II mpnicipal corporation. consisting of
sixty persons. and a town council. con-
sisting of a chairman and five members.
Two of them being appointed by the rail-
way, the company exercising at the same
time the rights Of supervision, review and
Veto
1t would also be necessary to obtain
me consent of the railway administration
before the municipal body could enter in
to relations with the Chinese government.
should these municipal regulations be
enforced. in spite of the protest which the
Chinese government has made to the diff
ferent foreign powers a. serious state of
affairs will result. trade and business de-
velopment will be cramped and a pre-
ceoent created for the japanese to do the
same in Manchuria
Not the Right Class of Japanese.
One of the chief things which strikes
the visitor to Mukden and south Man
churia is that the Japanese. who are
pouring into that country are not by any
means OF the right class. During the war
the Chinese. and Others too. looked on
the japanese as their saviors. and well
coined them; but later experiences have
changed all that. In the streets one sees
many japanese drunk and disorderly. and
tnelr behavior to Europeans is often one
of open insult 0Ae
An English resident told me that one
nisht. as he was driving through the c,tv
IN ms cart. japanese suddenly spran1
onto IN and insisted on sitting on the
smart. The man refused to get down
when asked to do so and only Welded 70
lorce Ladies complain of the rudeness
OF Japanese letter carriers VINO mIsh
Snihese servants aside and burst into their
drawing rooms. throwing on the floor or
on tables their bundles of letters The
'hIhese grumbie that the japanese do not
pay their house rents. More serious still
is the prevalence of social evil of the
worst sort. from which the Japanese
authorities derive revenue"