Evening star., 1931-12-01
CH|NCHOW RETREAT
SEEN AS STRATEGY
Japan Is Believed Awaiting
More Propitious Time
to Occupy City.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

The occupation of Chinchow is vital
10 the Japanese If they actually want
to have complete control over Man
churia This is the view expressed by
military experts, who believe that, while
the Japanese army has withdrawn at
present in order to comply with the
promises made by the japanese cabinet,
the general staff intends at later date
to complete the military operations In
Manchuria by occupying Chinchow.
The operations preceding the de
facto" occupation of Manchuria neces-
state the complete control of the en-
tire Manchurian railway system. Since
September II the Japanese have grad
ually occupied every railway center with
the exception of Chinchow. The occu-
patton of Changchun, Taonan and
Tsitsihar was justified by the Japanese
general staff by the fact that Chinese
brigands were allegedly interfering with
japanese railways or with Japanese
built and ChineSe-operated lines.
No Pretext to Take ChinchOw.
The attack on Tsitsihar was con-
sidered necessary because the damages
to the bridge across the Nonni River
1nterfered with the soya bean trade,
which was harmful to the Chinese and
the Japanese alike.
But the Japanese have no plausible
excuse for the occupation of Chinchow,
which is a railway junction of purely
Chinese lines from Peiping and Tientsin
to Mukden and Dairen. Consequently.
the Japanese general staff have left
themselves a door open for the justifl-
cation of the eventual occupation Of
that important Manchurian town, say
ing that the situation of the japanese
Army guarding the other Manchurian
railroads might be endangered by a
possible attack by the Chinese from
Chinchow. If any action is taken
against that town, it will be taken
purely in self-defense. This has been
repeatedly stated by the Toxic general
staff. To indicate the desire of avoid
ing such an emergency. the Japanese
government is now asking withdrawal
of the Chinese troops from the Chin
chow area beyond the Great Wall,
which separates China proper from
Manchuria.
In view of the fact that the occupa-
tion of Chinchow is considered a vital
necessity for the safety of the Japan
ese army. most military experts believe
the fulfillment of this task will be ac-
complished within comparatively short
period whether the Chinese agree to
withdraw their troops into China proper
or not. An excuse for such an occupa-
ton can be easily found.
More PropitiOus Time Awaited.
In view of the uproar created
throughout the world by the high
handed policies of the Japanese gov
eminent in regard to China, both the
Japanese foreign Office and the Jap
Rnese war Office have decided it would
be wiser to refrain from any further
provocative actions which would prove
the helplessness OF the League of Ma
tions and might irritate the American
Government further.
BY giving respite to the public opin-
ion of the world, and by waiting until
some more vital European problems
come up and keep the world public
opinion preoccupied with matters Of a
more vital interest to them, the Japa-
nese have nothing to lose and every
thing to gain. For this reason IL Is be-
lieved in military and diplomatic circles
in Washington and abroad that the
japanese will not persist in their de-
signs of occupying Chincf1ow at present,
but win wait for more propitious mo-
ment and complete the control Of Man
churia by occupying Chinchow without
much noise.