Evening star., 1935-11-24
BY FRANK SMOTHERS.

- status of the Sino- Japanese
crisis vis-a-vis the five north
ern provinces demonstrates one
of the mountainous difficulties faced
by Japan in her imperialiSt designs
on China as whole.
North China autonomy" may yet
emerge because of japanese pressure.
Japanese still confidently predict that
it will come. But if it does, the his
tory of it's birth will not be the basis
for sound Japanese hope that 1t
will prove a tremendous boon to Nip
pom. AS the Japanese threats grew,
certain Chinese officials in the north
yielded ground. Weeks of yielding,
some of its actual, some verbal, con-
tinued.
But the Chinese negotiators failed
to come to an agreement with the
japanese. Gen. Sung Cheh-Yuan,
commandant of the Peiping- -Tientsin
garrison, "co-operated" with the Japa-
nese in the drive of arrests against
"anti-Japanese" agents which was
under way about two weeks ago. Gen.
Sung and his agents talked autonomy
with Mai. Gen. Kenji Doihara of the
Kwantung army's intelligence service.
But he fell short of the mark Gen.
Doihara and other Japanese militia
rists wanted. He kept referring ques-
tions to the Nanking government OF
Marshal Chang Kai-Shek He de-
layed. He suggested alternatives to
Doihara's Suggestions"
Threatened Chinese Bend.
With the threat of japanese force
always in the background, the Chinese
bent. A Japanese invasion was threat
ened-to what extent it may ulti-
mately prove to have been a bluff
invasion was threatened as an alter
native to autonomy, as was reported
by the correspondent of the Chicago
Daily News early this week, is borne
out by excellent Chinese testimony.
Finally early this week the japanese
doctors expressed themselves certain
that the autonomy baby was going
to be born any minute. Indeed, it
appeared that they were right. But
the japanese are still waiting. Some
thing had gone wrong.
Marking took up a firm attitude.
Word had gone out-with what final
significance the future must reveal
that Doctor Doihara lacked proper
authority to force the birth. Word
went out that Tokyo did not favor
carrying things to such an extreme
as invasion.
Marshal Chang Kai-Shek wired
Gen. Sung at Peiping to drop the
negotiation with Doihara.
1t turned out that Gen. Han Fu-
Chu, chairman OF Shantung Province,
Upon whom the japanese counted
to come to Peiping and assist in max
ing the birth of autonomy successful,
was staying at Tsinan, his capital.
It turned out that Shang Chen,
governor of Hopei Province contain
ing Peiping and Tientsin)-whose ex-
pected arrival in Peiping for the same
natal purpose had been advertised
by the Japanese-had become quite
i'll and unable to leave Paotingfu.
japanese Not Yet Defeated.
So it has gone. The japanese are
not licked on this autonomy issue yet.
Doihara is still busy. japanese agents
are still travelling hither and thither
In the north. Toxic still insists ad
infinitum that the autonomy move
ment is spontaneous.
But the Japanese are exasperated.
And such is the course of so much
Japanese imperialist pressure on
China. When threats become too
ominous there are Chinese conces-
sions. The extreme danger to China
cannot be minimized. Successive con-
cessions have greatly weakened the
country.
If Japan continues increasing her
domination of Cathay, getting access
to more raw materials which China
needs, debating against patriotic
Chinese education. forcing China to
accept floods of Japanese goods and
working against the development Of
Chinese industry, the future Of China
can be tragically warped for many
dreary decades ahead.
Ultimate Profit Hard to See.
But while the harm to China Is
thus very easily discerned, the ulti-
mate profit to Japan is far harder
to see. When specific pressure is
applied the Chinese seem to 60 along,