Evening star., 1947-09-28
Chinese Under Soviet
Rule eShrunken Dairen
u. 5. Consul Reports
BY the Associatsd Press


SEOUL, Korea, Sept. 27.-Dairen,
greatly shrunken in population and
area, is ruled by Russian n-chosen
Chinese government under the
Russian military, the United States
consul general from that once
thriving Manchurian seaport said
today.
The first news in many months
from the city which has become
postwar pawn was given to re-
porters by Consul General H. M
Bennington, who brought his wife
? to Seoul for medical treatment.
The couple was flown from Dairen
to Pyongyang, Soviet headquarters
in Northern Korea, by Soviet plane,
and came on to Seoul by train
There has been no American trans
portation to Dairen since last March
when the Russians refused to ap-
prove further monthly visits by a
Navy dispatch craft.
Since then, the consul's only out
side contact has been by coded mes
sages which the Russians relay for !!
him to the United States consulate
at Vladivostok.
Port Arthur Status Uncertain.
Mi. Bennington declined to say
whether the Russian sponsored
Chinese government OF the city was
Communist. He commented only
that it was known as the "Kwan-
tung government" the name Of the
peninsula on which Dairen and
nearby Port Arthur are situated.
1t was not clear whether this regime |
also covered Port Arthur, as Mr.. |
Bennington said he had mo occa-
sion" to 60 to the latter, IS miles |
away by train.
1t evidently gives no allegiance,
however, to the central government
Of China, which has been unsuccess-
full in efforts to assume administra-
tion as provided in the Chinese
Russian treaty of 1945.
That treaty gives the Russians a
naval base at Port Arthur and
makes Dairen a free port under
Chinese civil administration except
in the event of war The Russians
are remaining on the ground that
a state of war still exists with
Japan.
Many Japs Repatriated.
Mr.. Bennington reported that of
Dairen's former population of more
than 100000, a quarter million
Japanese had been repatriated and
many Chinese had moved to
Chinese national territory.
He said that he was allowed free
movement within the city limits
but remarked that they had been
considerably reduced by exclusion
of the suburbs which once were
counted as part of the city.
Beside the Benninghoffs, Amer
leans living in Dairen are Vice Con-
sui Isaac Patch, jr., and his wife
and daughter, and C. B. Kinney of
Honolulu, who declined repatriation
because his Japanese wife could not
go with him, Mr.. Bennington de-
clared.
Properly Trested by Russians.
All, he said, have been properly
treated by the Russians and are
able to buy food and other neces-
sites at generally-inflated prices inI
Soviet occupation currency, which
is the legal tender.
American property in the port, he
said, consisted principally of stor-
age tanks and can factories of
Standard Oil and the Texas Co. He
remarked that so far as he knew
they were still there, but that al
Texas Co. representative who visited
Dairen several months ago was not
allowed to inspect them.
The port, which once handled 49,
100000 tons of cargo year. now is
visited only by two to seven Rus
siap ships a week, Mr.. Bennington
noted.
The consul, who said he expected
to return to the United States soon,
declined to discuss political or mill
tary affairs.