Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-15
MANCHURIA IS FOCAL POINT
FOR CLASH OF MANY MOTIVES
Chinese Consider Province Their Rightful Dom ain
Japanese, Russians Watch for Vantage.
Says Observer.

not only by ourselves but by our Japa-
nese escorts. At several stations along
the way We were welcomed" by Chi
nese officials. who came on the train
Or introductions At Kirin, where. we
stopped for an hour, We were received
with great ceremony and invited ever
to the station masters Office, where tea
was served. And at Tunhua we were
importuned to 60 to the town itself,
which Is about tl1ree-quarters Of mile
from the station. to see that COM
munity, although the road was dark
and muddy and there was nothing to
be seen after all but a few hundred
mud houses. We slept In our special
car.
Chinese Very Attentive.
All the way back to Changchun TO-
day we had the same close attention by
the Chinese, who lost no opportunity to
tell us about the poor work done by the
japanese in building the line and the
high rate Of interest In short, at every
station, 1t would appear, the purpose
was to stress upon us the fact that the
line to Tunhua is Chinese. that the
japanese are only the technical man
ayers of the division to Kirin, and that
the Chinese have no intention to extend
1t beyond Tunhua to the Korean coast.
The fact Is that japan does not at
present desire ownership OF the line, II
1t Is constructed. 1t only wants the
line built After that events will de-
termine themselves. 1t will be an ex-
pensive task to run the line down to
the coast. for the region to be covered
is mountainous and sparsely settled and
rough. But If it cost five times as
much as ordinary railroad construction
Japan would be glad to undertake the
job.
1t has already, in earlier reports, been
pointed out that Japan maintains a
small army OF soldiers over here in
Maf1chufia for the protection OF the
railroad lines. There are some 5000
troops stretched along the various lines
Of the S. NJ R. If this line to the
Korean coast should be constructed
under japanese financial auspices and
If China should default in interest or
principal payments on the construction
debt. foreclosure would be Quilted in the
order Of logical happenings. And the
ranks OF Japanese soldiers would then
extend all along the lines / have sug-
gested to be drawn on the map:
It Is not to be concluded from this
description of the situation that Japan
has a militant motive lin thus trying
to draw the railroad line completely
around the bridgehead above Korea and
to establish Korean port in the north
east On the contrary, Japan's policy
is distinctly pacific. It wants China tc
go ahead and develop Manchuria. II
is helping the Chinese immigrants. who
are arriving from South and Central
China at the rate Of million year
giving them reduced railroad fares, Civ
ing the aged and the children free
transportation supplying them with pro-
visions for their journey. 1t Is main
tanning schools for the education Of
those within the area of its influence
and operations. As I have heretofore
shown, 1t Is conducting agricultural ex-
pertinent stations to improve and stimu-
late farming. 1t is aiding in the estab.
lishment of industries in Manchuria.
Counter Motives Felt.
All this means that Japan wants q
prosperous Manchuria. under Chinese
administration. But It wants It's owr
interests protected against either Chi
nese or possibly Russian aggression IN
the future. 1t would seem to be en-
tirely frank In its implication that il
does not altogether trust the sufficiencS
OF Chinese administration or the per.
niarient quiescence of Russia.
Then there is this angle to the situa-
ton: Japan urgently needs foodstuffs
own people. She needs raw materials
for her industries. Therefore she wants
highly productive Manchuria, as well
as Korea, and she wants the production
assured OF protection from handftry
from official brigandsge and from for
eign" Intervention.
SO Japan hopes for the completion
of the line to the Korean coast. II
contends that under the treaty of June
10, 1918. China agreed to the construc-
ton of such q line, and that an sgree-
ment was entered into between the
Chinesa government and three Japa-
nese banks. But nothing came of that
arrangement. 1t Is understood that the
late Chang Tso-Lin had undertaken I'd
renew the agreement only short time
before his death year ago. His son
Is not making any move toward the
renewal Of the contract. Evidently there
Is deep feeling on the part Of the
Manehurians against any more Japa-
nese-owned or Japahese-managed rail-
road lines in Manchuria.. And this feel
on the part of the young General"
In all this fnaneuvering, Of which we
were so keenly conscious during these
past two days, there Is suggestion OF
comic opera. The plays in the game
are so evident to our eyes that we can
almost imagine q musical setting. But
there is another side to it, and that
side suggests melodrama. We may gel
more OF &c in Hardin, and perhaps sill
more when we move south into China
proper.
Whether comic opera or fnelodrama
the scene of the play is one OF great
beauty. This part Of Manchuria
through which we have been travelling
Is fascinatingly attractive.