Evening star., 1928-05-27
.Japan's Aim i'm Shantung
Continued from First Page.)
e. determined upon the military conquest

vcned on April 20 when the opposition
introduced a vote OF Impeachment
against the home minister for issuing
a statement in which he set the author"
ity of the Emperor too far above that
of the Parliament, This vote was car
ried and the minister resigned. This
left the ministry In a prccarious posi-
ton. Any opportunity for serious crit
i2ism might easily result in Its over
throw.
At this critical iuncture came thc
news of new Nationalist advance
toward the north Chang KA!-shek' s
troops were rapidly approaching Tsinar
and It was reported that enc ol
Chiang's commanders was Gen. lie
Yao-tsu, one of the Human leaders
who has been most active in the attack
upon foreigners at Marking There
was grave reason to fear that the ar
rival of Gen. Hc at Tsinan might near
the loss of Japanese lives
For Tsinan had a very considerable
japanese colony. There are in this
scene of former japanese activity some
1900 japanese, most Of them traders
and shopkeepers. There is ample an
tipathy toward foreigners in general
throughout China. This antipathy is
sharpened and embittered against the
Japanese at Tsinan because of the fact
that these Japanese tradesmen come
into direct competition with Chinese
engaged in the same kind Of business
The Japanese are there legally, but that
creates no enthusiasm on the part OF
their Chinese neighbors.
Faced Grave Decision.
The Tanaka ministry was faced with
- AnNietAp f,,I1 {~or
the disruptiye effect on Sino- japanese
relations of another military expedition
into Shantung On the other hand
they were loath to risk the loss OF
japanese lives II Ho Yao-tsu should
run amuck in Tsinan. Such a loss OF
life wou'1 undoubtedly result in the
overthrow OF the ministry. To be sure
Chang Kai-shek and the Marking au-
thorities were assuring protection to
foreigners and were suppresSing with
apparent sincerity enti-foreign agitation
In the territories which they controlled
The risk, however. was too great and
Gen, Fukuda was ordered to proceed
to .Tsinan with $500 men. Barricades
were erected and machine guns mount
ed about the Japanese quarter. Japan
stood ready to protect the lives of her
nationals by armed force If necessary.
but there was no eagerness for an
armed clash. Fukuda got in touch with
Chang Kai-shek Immediately on the
latter's approach to Tsinan. They
readily agreed upon a plan which they
hoped would avoid trouble. and the
japanese. pursuant to that agreement,
leveled their barricades and removed
their machine guns. This was on the
morning OF May g.
Iuhat hN te MT aud
may never be exactly known, The Jap
anese and the Chinese have each given
out their versions The following ac-
count is typical and is so exactly what
might have been expected under the
circumstances that 1t is fair to assume
that something Of this kind precipltated
the conflict
AS soon as the japanese dismantled
their defenses and withdrew their cor
don In accordance with the Chang
Fukuda agreement, Chinese stragglers
made their way into the Japanese area
and began looting Japanese homes,
Upon receiving a report of this. two
Japanese gendarmes were sent to in
vestigate This, OF course. was a
highly provocative maneuver. A platoon
of japanese troops would have stopped
the looting and that would have been
the end OF the matter. But to send
two gendarr1es was to invite trouble.
Then Firing Begins.
The invitation was accepted. The
Chinese hooters saw no reason for dis
anese possessions at the behest of two
lone gendarmes. Fighting words were
exchanged and while one Of the Jap
anese went TO telephone headquarters
the Chinese effectually beat up the
other one. When 90 Japanese soldiers
arrived on the scene firing began. II
Is not known who fired first, and the
matter Is hardly one OF Importance.
Firing was bound to ensue under the
circumstances.
The Chinese fed. The commanding
generals Immediately got into commu-
nication and another pacific agreement
was made. Despite their efforts, how
ever. what amounted TO a first-class
skirmish occurred on the following day.
II affected a large sector of the Jap
anese area and when order was restored
25 Japanese soldiers were reported
killed and wounded. while l3 Japanese
civilians were killed and lS were
missing
The Chinese loss was reported at
we're things improved by the story of
the finding OF the body OF japanese
man who had been horribly mutilated
and the body OF Japanese woman
who had been namelesSly maltreated
before her death. The Chinese have
paraileled these stories with an equally
revolving tale of the murder and mu~
tilation OF their foreign commissioner
In TsinAn and the members OF his stan.
Neither OF these stories should be given
too mueh~-or too little--credence.
Demands ON Chinese.
The occurrences OF May aroused
the belligsrcncy of the Japanese COM
mander, and Gen. Fukuda on May Z
sent four specific demands TO Chang
Kai-shek The japanese demanded the
immediate cessation of all firing upon
Japanese. an end to anti-Japanese
propaganda. the disarming and punish
ment OF the guilty Chinese troops, and
the unhampereh operation OF the rail-
way The Ming Of formal demands, OF
course, put the Chinese on their mettle
and they ignored the Japanese com
munication,
On the following day there was con-
tinued flring on both sides. Gen
Fukudas forces had been Increased TO
5000 men at Tsinan and as many more
we're strung along the railway and sta
toned at Tsingtao In the same neigh
borhood we're 10000 TO 10000 Chinese
Nationalist troops. The Japanese were
Of course, much better armed and their
training was far superior to that OF tho
Chinese. None the less, from the point
OF view of the Japanese general staff
their army was in dangerous position
The danger was increased by the
astute proclamation of Chang Tso-lin
who. still safe behind the walls of his
palace In Picking. nevertheless. saw his
armies crumbling before the Nationalist
advance. with a magnificent gesture
Chang said he would not fight his
brother Chinese IN the presence OF a
foreign invader and he proceeded to
withdraw his troops to line OF defense
well to the north Of Tsnan, Is Is prob
able that this proclamation had more
"A al ltaV ~