The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-03-18
manager indeed showed maximum len


"If the merchants are dissatisfied,
the fault thereof is entirely General
Chang Ho-hsiang's, who disrespects
the Mukden agreement, the existing
laws and regulations and the board
of directors of the Chinese Eastern
Railway, half of whose members con.
sists of your own appointees. If IN.
stead of aiming at friendly under
standing and respect for mutual
rights, General Chang Ho-hsiang
chooses to have recourse to sheer
force, it will be really difficult to fore.
see all the consequences of such vic.
lent actions.
Il may be allowed to voice my deep
regret that you should so light-heart.
edly make charges against the general
manager, Ivanoff, who has, during his
short term of Office, put the railway
under his charge into condition which
ought to call forth nothing else than
feelings of sincere appreciation on
the part both Of the Chinese and the
Soviet governments. 1t will suffice to
point out that within three months of
his management Of the line, Ivanoff
has brot down the floating debt of the
enterprise from 10.5 to As million
rubles, which evidently testifies to an
economic and competent management.
However, if military officers will per
sist in interfering with the commerce
ial business Of the railway, situation
is bound to arise that will indeed be
, threatening to both parties.
Quickly Forpets the Past.
your parallel between the actions
of Ivanoff and those of Russian mon.
archists only tends to show how rap
idly the memory has been lost of the
regime established on the Chinese
Eastern Railway by the monarchists-
a regime under which the Chinese au-
thorities and the population had to
obey the will not of their people but
of the czarist officials and when not
only the merchants but the Chinese
authorities as we'll depended on the
management of the railway. The Rus
sian revolution swept away the acts
of oppression of the czarist govern
ment over the rights of the Chinese
people, and this consideration alone
should have moved you to refrain from
making uncautious charges against
those whom the revolution has quail
fed for friendly and brotherly work
with the Chinese people.
Referring to your request that 7
wire to the general manager and sus-
pend the levying of the taxes, regret
to say that have not the right to do
so as it would constitute a violation
OF the Mukden agreement. Indeed, the
| general manager being subordinate TO
the board of directors, l cannot give
him any orders over the heads of the
board. The only way of settling the
matter is that the merchants CON
l-cerned negotiate directly with the
management of the line. If instead of
troubling you with unwarranted ana
unsubstantial omplaints-doing it
under pressure from outside, those
merchants had started negotiations
with the management, the question at
issue could have been settled long
l'ago
THAT, however, they refused to do
in spite of the suggestion of the man
agement. Constantly encouraged. al
they we're by unfortunate counsels,
the merchants failed to avail them.
selves of the weeks term accorded
them by acting chairman, Mr.. Yuan,
and vice-chafrman of the G. E. R., Mr..
Pozdeyeff, for negotiating. Neverthe-
less, wish to ask you to advise them
to choose the lawful path of negotia-
tons with the general manager, such
way being the only one that can lead
to settlement of the matter.
Il may assure you that the Russian
members of the board of directors are
working in friendly manner together
with the Chinese members of the same
and understand each other thoroly
well. Their joint work, which is done
in the interests of both countries,
really should not be interferred with
by unlimited Intervention from out
side.
Il wish to ask you, in conclusion, to
give orders to the Chinese authorities
at Hardin: () that they should not
interfere with the commercial bust
ness of the railway and violate the
Mukden agreement; (2) that a dele,
gate be appointed for the delimitation
and handing over to China of the rail
way land, (3) that the merchants con
cerned be advised to come to terms
with the management Of the railway;
ca that the actual assumption of Of
fee by the chairman OF the board o.
directors be expedited. and that fall
ing this a new person be. appointed
to the post of chairman, as otherwise
his absence is harmful to the business
Hopes He Likes Frankness.
/