The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-01-20

comnerc-Taken Over by Japan
at Outbreak of War and Again
Transformed.
THE REIMBURSEMENT OF Tsingtao
and the Kiaochow leasehold By japan
recently, and its subsequent troubles
with Chinese bandits mark the pass
ing of n dream Of japanese a
sion In the Flowery Kingdom. Just as
the surrender of the same territory to
Japan almost exactly eight years ago
marked the tragic end of the dream
Of German Imperialism in the coun-
try" remarks a bulletin from the
Washington headquarters of the Ma
tional Geographic society.
This 200-square-mIle slice of IA
mous old Shantung," continues the
bulletin, for millenniums had little In
its lot to distinguish it from similar
sleepy patches Of China's coast eoun-
try. Suddenly II awoke "A years ago
with the worlds spotlight beating
fully upon it. Il has been in the
glare ever since; the bone Of eonten-
ton Of empires, and an object for pow
erful if immaterial diplomatic forces
and ultimatums. when 1t was not the
target for all too material naval guns
and their high explosive shells.
From s~hahbiness to Prosperity.
~Tsingtao, the port Of the Kiaoehow
leasehold, has been a veritable Gin
derella among oriental communities
and TO mix the metaphor. a chame-
leon nationally. Snatehed from its
existence as q shabby fishing village It
vas made into a 'Spotless Town to
serve first as a gateway for German
kultur and commerce; and later as an
entrepot for Japanese influence and
goods.
when Germany decided to compete
with other European nations that were
taking possession of slices of Chinese
territory, and landed her forces at
Tsingtao in 1898, it consisted of little
more than a narrow main street lined
by low Chinese buildings with paper
windows and straw roofs.
"Once on the ground the Germans
worked feverishly at making ove the
village and constructing the cembina-
ton of Little Berlin and German
Hongkong' Of which they dreamed.
Chinese houses were taken over and
made clean and temporary barracks
were built. followed by permanent
mes. Wide streets and were
laid out and with shade trees;
substantial 5ldings and
residences rose. Drainage systems
were established and other sanitary
measures taken, and a supply of pure
water was piped in from the hills.
Massive granite breakwaters and piers
were constructed; the harbor was
dredged to a depth to accommodate
the largest ships. A huge floating
dock capable of accommodating mer-
chairman or warship provided the fin
ishing touch which made the once
sleepy little Tsingtao into a full
fledged commercial and naval base
and outpost of empire.
'By the outbreak of the World wal
Tsingfao represented a brilliant result
Of German efficiency Sixty million
dollars had been spent in the trans
formation. An excellent railroad
tapped the interior Of Shantung. mines
were being opened and shipping was
steadily increasing. Of the city itself
the Germans, who then numbered more
than 1000 shopkeepers. professional
-~o- 49, a+hl- 1s-s4s,-- - .11s+4-- -
the military. boosted with considerable
justification that it was "a paradise on
earth
From Little Berlin TO Little Tokyo.
The character of this most German
of towns was changed in 1914 almost
as radically and as quickly as a mo-
ton picture setting is transformed
from a representation of London to
one of New York. The German flag
came down in November and most Of
the Germans were sent TO Japan as
prisoners. Civilian japanese as well
as soldiers poured IN; and while the
architecture of Little Berlin re-
NAMED for the most part unaltered,
the whole atmosphere Of the place be-
came that of Japan. On their part
the japanese displayed greater energy
even than had the Germans, TO give
the city its second Transformation.
There, amid the homogeneous German
buildings, blossOmed the influence and
culture of Nippon. indeed the Japa-
nese were more thorough than their
predecessors. BY the middle of 1920
more than 2s,O00 japanese had moved
TO the city. Schools had been esfab-
lished for teaching Chinese to the
newcomers. as well as the regular sys-
TEN of lower and higher Japanese
public schools. Commerce through
the port grew amazingly, most Of the
ships. flying the japanese flag.
"Tsingtao is remote from America.
but through commerce It has its con
facts with this country. When you
see a suit Of Shantung silk on q sum
mer day, the chances are high that
the fabric took ship at Tsingtao and
tons of the almost invisible hair nets
that hold Americas unbobbed feminine
tresses in place also start their sea
journey at this German-Japanese port
which in name now becomes Chinese