Evening star., 1938-11-11
Hsinking Beautiful
But Deadly Dull,
Say japanese
Monehukuo Capital Place
To Marvel at, but
Visitors Hurry On
BY REGINALD SWEETLAND.

BY REGINALD SWEETLAND.
Chicago Daily News Foreign Correspondent.
HSINKING, Manchukuo.-Let there
be no mistake about 1.-THE 100000
600 Japanese yen spent to create this
newest capital of an empire has been
well expended. The streets are broad
boulevards, tree lined and paved; gov
ernment buildings are marvels of archi-
tectural variety and of spaciousness;
parks are tree-f1lled and gurgle with
the noise Of running streams, and their
limpid pools reflect the dazzling blue
Of the sky-all this-but, oh, so deadly
dull!
Said one of the three Japanese privy
councillors to the imperial court of
Kang Teh during an hour and half
conversation at the bar of the Yamato
Hotel:
II like to meet American corre-
spondents, for I want America to be
interested in Manchukuo We have q
German legation, an Italian legation
and we are to have Spanish legation.
Perhaps in time we can have an Amer
lean legation. Then we can have more
foreigners residing here; we can have
an international club where we can
talk English and have marvellous
times"
Describes Taierchwang Battle.
During heavy rainstorm, with GAL
Ions OF water cascading on the roof
above us, he drew red matches out of
a box and outlined the position of
japanese troops at the now-famous
battle of Taierchwang So it might
have gone on for hours until we had
got back to the battle of Thermopolae
Bored stiff; not much to do.
Said member of the Japanese En-
bassy staff:
Our trouble here is to find enough
to do. Offices close at pm. and we
can play tennis. But for seven months
in the year it is almost too cold to go
out Of doors and since Toxic cannot
afford to give us steel, we cannot con-
struct a gymnasium and indoor hand
ball courts
Most foreign travellers and many
Japanese hope to conclude their busi-
ness here in this capital within one
day and so hurry along elsewhere. Yet
all praise the development of the city
and praise for the enterprise and en-
ergy expended here during the last four
years comes readily to the lips as be-
ing profoundly well deserved.
Why is it that everything that the
japanese touches and tries to trans
mute into something resembling the
west becomes Immediately sterile?
Life amid such surroundings as Dairen,
Hslnklng, Mukden is inexpressibly dull.
And even the japanese themselves ad-
init this to be true.
Have Puritanic Strain.
Where they got it from none knows,
but there is in the Japanese a Puri-
tanic strain that makes them pro-
foundly self-conscious of themselves
at every moment of every day of their
lives. If they are not doing the right
thing at the particular right moment
that fate has decreed they should
do it. they are profoundly uncom-
Portable.
On a dry, dusty morning I gave
the young Japanese, who has been
delegated to watch over me to make
sure see the right things and right
persons during my stay here, bottle
OF lemonade. This was about $50
In the morning. At noon he not
only refused to each lunch with me.
but refused lunch altogether. "Why?"
I asked, lis your stomach upset?"
Not bit of it. He was perfectly
healthy, but he had already INDUCED
himself that morning to the extent
OF bottle of lemonade and he could
carry on until evening before he ate
again.
Top-heavy With Bureaucrats.
Hsinking is top-heavy with bureau
Gratis. Every government Office is
crowded with employees, but I have
not heard one of them say he is
pleased to live here and yet the ma
Jorlty of them live rent free in at
tractive homes and none is over
worked. Further than this, they are
paid more to live and work in Man
chukuo than those holding similar
office positions in Japan.
Hsinking is the epitome Of striking
contrast. Such energy to create such
city, and now such lethargy to live
in it,
Copyright. 1898, by the Chicago Daily
News, Inc)