The Wilmington morning star., 1946-12-25
RUSSIA INTENDS
TO KEEP DAIREN
Life In Port City Pictured
As Dismal, With Many
Living In Fear

DAIREN, Manchuria, Dec. 20
W.D-Soviet Russia intends to re-
tain full control of the city of Dair-
en- = gateway to Manchuria and
will keep military forces there
until after a peace treaty is signed
with Japan, it was learned Friday.
This will be done under a techni-
cal definition of a clause in the
Chinese : Soviet pact concerning
Dairen which says: "In peacetime,
Dairen is not included in the
sphere of efficacy of naval base
regulations determined by the
agreement of Port Arthur of Aug.
II, 1915, and shall be subject t.
military supervision or control in
this zone only in case of wal
against Japan"
The phrase "in peacetime" is the
catch. Technically, China and
Russia are still at war with Japar
until a peace treaty is signed.
Despite the fact that two Ameri
can correspondents who visited
Dairen abroad a U. S. Navy courier
ship were refused permission te
entire the city by Russian Com
mander Maj. Gen. V. U. Korzhan-
off, a comprehensive picture Of
conditions under Soviet rule has
been obtained from neutral and
Chinese sources.
Depressed City
Dairen is a cold, depressed and
dismal city. Life is almost as
closely regulated there as behind
the iron curtain. The only cur
rency is Soviet military script. In
dustry is paralyzed, hunger anc
unemployment are widespread ano
prices are wildly inflated.
Only three buildings in the city
are heated against the freezing
Manchurian cold.
Russian and Chinese civilians
who lived there before and during
the war exc out an existence Of
privation and fear. None dare tt
be intimate with Americans who
are under almost constant surveil
lance. Summary arrests anc
punishment are the rule rather
than the exception.
There is no freedom of speech OF
press. One Chinese language news
paper is published infrequently
whenever its Communist publishers
"can think of something to say
against the United States" &C
cording to reliable sources.
Petty cruelties to Chinese anc
White Russians are almost a daily
occurrence, and many young Chi.
nese students have been ARRESTED
for expressing their belief that full
Chinese sovereignty should be re
stored.
Stain Posters
Soviet propaganda posters =
featuring portraits of Stain and
other Soviet dignitaries-are to be
seen everywhere.
Other posters advise the hungry
and jobless Chinese residents tina
peace and prosperity would be
possible If America would get out
of China.
At the same time the Soviets
are making full use of American
lend lease equipment, including
Liberty ships, planes and motol
vehicles of all sorts. The only OBJ
servable transport the Red Army
! has in Dairen is American-made
There are indications that the
fear which rules the daily lives o.
Chinese people, through some sor'
of poetic justice, also haunts the
lives of their Soviet masters. \ Fol
every act of local Soviet officials
is reviewed by Moscow and the
Russian military and diplomatic
representatives seemingly live II
terror of taking any step not tlrs
cleared by the Kremlin.
Observers believed it was this
fear of making a decision which
prompted Korzhanoff to issue hi
ultimatum to the U. S. Navy
courier to "leave port within &c
minutes or we will not be respon-
sible for the consequences"