Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-09
JAPANESE LEADER
WONT MOVE FORCE
HOMO Says Conditions Are
Not Safe Enough to With
draw His Troops.
BY REGINALD swEETLAND.

BY REGINALD SWEETLAND.
b Gable to The Star.
MUKDEN, Manchuria. November 9.
Japan has no intention Of with
drawing her troops from their present
positions outside the Manchurian rail-
road zone regardless of whether or not
the League of Nations set November
Is as the definite date for their re-
lnoval. Present conditions in the in
terror of Manchuria make such a
withdrawal impossible.
Such is the unmistakable impression
gathered in an exclusive interview with
Gen. HOMO. commander in chief OF the
Manchurian troops. Gen. HOMO said:
Conditions are such that no date
can be definitely set for withdrawal of
the troops. owing to the increasing
danger of banditry, Japan has not
enough soldiers here to be OF proper
protection for japanese and koreans
living in Manchuria"
Silent on Movement.
Gen. HOMO declined as TO delicate
a question at this time to state whether
japan intended crossing the Chinese
Eastern Railway into TSitslhar to clear
out the Chinese troops which have
been fighting the japanese along the
Nonni River.
LAS soon as the situation clears up
Japan will withdraw her first-line
troops now operating outside the rail-
road zone" he said.
Porting over maps, Gen. HOMO, clad
in an olive drab uniform and wearing
as insignia only the silver star worn by
all graduates of the Imperial War Col
lege stressed the increasing threat from
bandits operating in groups OF from
800 to 1000 strong.
The tendency of these bands, ac-
cording to Gen. HOMO, is to amalga-
mate their forces.
Gen. HOMO declares that $4,000 Jap
anese troops are now III Manchurla, but
he is unable to say offhand how many
of these are operating outside the rail-
way zone.
This interview was held in the Orien-
tai Cultures Building of the Japanese,
which is the center OF the Japanese
section in Mukden. Almost a comedy
touch was given the affair when I was
taken from my hotel and privately
driven directly across the street to the
building facing the hotel.
Children Send Gifts.
A single khaki-clad soldier, behind
sand bags. guards the entrance to the
long concrete corridors. Japanese
soldiers are carrying huge wicker clothes
baskets loaded with packages OF candies,
cigarettes, pencils and writing tablets
as presents for the troops from school
children throughout Japan.
Huge prize chrysanthemums in a
Satsuma vac decorate Gen. Honjo'S
Office on the second floor.
Sykf1 Ian Hon rN,c
chief of staff conducted me. through a
hall on the top floor, where were dis
played photographs, text books, rifles
and shells-provocativ of incidents and
materials which led Japan to take the
present aggressive step.
Scores of anti-Japanese posters,
slogans and other material are display
ed, including recent posters urging the
Chinese to make friends with the
japanese.
Fifty cars of Chinese infantry, with
two armored cars and 100000 rounds
of ammunition. are reported to be en-
route from Hardin to reinforce the
Chinese at Tsitsihar.
Mukden gives all the appearance of
being considerably bored with the no.
toriety it has received since the Jap
aneSe occupied it under fire the night
of September 18.
Drinks Toast to Soviet.
A happy break in the boredom came
over the week end, when leading Chi
nese and Japanese officials and repre-
sentatives of other nations, except the
United States, gathered at the Soviet
consulate to drink toast to the sue
cess of the Soviet government on its
14th anniversary.
In the background, silent and in
scutable, were the new Chinese mem
berS of what Japan believes to be the
de facto provincial government, headed
by an old-time scholar of the ancient
classical school, Yuan Chin-Kai, and
the new mayor, who was groomed for
the job by the Japanese.
The toast, in Russian, was translated
into Chinese as a courtesy to the soil
on which it was drunk. No speech was
made in response.
Few japanese troops are seen on the
streets, but officials say that between so
and 100 are inside the walled city. Oc-
casionally along the streets one finds
q few oil drums on which SandbagS are
piled Behind these stand khaki-uni-
formed japanese soldiers with tin hats
OF the German model.
Police Are Chinese.
All the city gendarmes are Chinese,
trained by the Japanese, and each is
equipped with a brand-new rifle from
the Mukden Arsenal and a neat blue
uniform with white hat band and white
epaulets. They are directing traffic
sober faced and intent on their duty
Some carry fixed bayonets.
There is nothing heated, nothing
militant. nothing cowed about the gen
eral attitude. forcing one to believe that
the only anti-Japanese sentiment is tc
be found in the YangtZe Valley in
China proper.
II is at the Muden Airfeld that one
realizes that Japan and not China il
in control. This is Marshal Chang
Hsmen Liang's pet venture.
Today one stumbles over five wrecked
planes, bearing the Sun Yat-Sen in.
sigma, which have been left TO rot
while on the airfeld three japanese
bombers rest. Chinese workers, few il
number, lounge about. not commenting
but ready to exchange a smile with
any chance visitor.
Copyright, 1881