WHITE RUSSIANS ARE SIDING WITH THE JAPANESE

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 29, 4 February 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

WHITE RUSSIANS ARE SIDING WITH THE JAPANESE

SHANGHAI. A LARGE and undoubtedly representative body of the 30,000 "white" Russians- of Shanghai has formally declared its adherence to the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo "axis," is sympathy with totalitarian ideology, and its intention to support and aid Ger m any, Italy -and Japan , in - every, possible way. ••.Tims, the extraordinary position, presents, itself of a group of-people living under the extraterritorial protection of ""the democratic Powers, England and France, in an invaded country openly siding Vwith the invader.

This action was takcri 'at meeting of the emigres .recently. The meeting took place... iiv ; . the old Astor House Hotel, which'' is in the. section of the former 'International Settlement now held by the' Japanese.-in defiance of treaties, agreements, geographical bounds and the repeatedly-expressed protests of England and America.

The Astor House Hotel stands on the hanks of the Huang-pa River, just over the garden bridge and . hard by the Japanese Consulate. Few but Japanese officers and officials of the ."Reformed Government" occupy it now. And the part these played in the meeting of the Russians is quite clear. However, inasmuch as most of the latter live in the French Concession and the International .Settlement and very few now remain in. the Japanese-occupied areas; there could have been little coercion in the affair.

But it has developed a bitter controversy in Shanghai and resulted in acrimonious and voluminous newspaper. correspondence among the emigres themselves and with people of other

By - - Marc T. Greene

nationalities. • The general feeling one of " indignation that a group or people, many,- of whom have achieved considerable ' prosperity in • the foreign part of Shanghai, especially, in.; the: •French Concession, should have formally arid openly .espoused the cause of the ravishers of China.

The position of the Russians here is, of course, a difficult and a peculiar onc ; They commenced to pour into Shanghai nearly 20 vears ago, mainly front-'the north, 31ost' of them were penniless or nearly sol They had, firlfc in the long trek across Siberia, and then .in f.lie flight southward from YJadivostock into and through Manchuria, suffered many:hardships.': 3b- their plight upon arriving in Shanghai was a sorry one and worthy of everybody's sympathy.

They received that sympathy in large measure, however, and it was accompanied by material 'aid in even larger. Shanghai's foreign community, only 20,000 or so then, and not collectively wealthy by any means, provided as far as it could for the outcasts, and .undoubtedly kept thousands of them from starving. Charitable organisations were formed, collections made and opportunities provided for the refugees to get on their feet economically. Shanghai Saved Them No one doubts that these opportvmities were appreciated and made the most of by the "white" Russians. Nevertheless, tile fact remains and is inescapable that Shanghai saved—literally saved—most of the emigres who had come pouring in here because there was nowhere else for them to go. And the aid came almost wholly from Americans and British and French. So to-day you find that the .main thoroughfare of the French Concession, Avenue Joffre, has come to be known as "Moscow Boulevard." Practically, every shop, every cafe, -every bar, every department store, newspaper offices, tjie rooms of professional men of all sorts, clubs and news stalls are Russian. France welcomed the refugees to her part of international Shanghai, even as she has done to many in Paris, provided opportunities to commence .business : at little cost to - the newcomers and favoured them in trade, while America and England, especially the former, contributed large sums of money.

It may be said without fear of convincing controversion,' that the Russian "whites" of Shanghai owe the success hundreds of tliem have achieved here, and their very existence in even, more eases, almost wholly to France, England and America, the democratic countries. True, there is much distress among the emigres yet, especially as lately more have arrived from the north, where their position is untenable, except;' as virtual servants of - the Japanese. Moreover, Shanghai- is suffering economically* as- the result of present conditions, and theoutlook is far. from cheering. Many a Russian even yet lives on a scale not much higher, than the humblest Chinese coolie. Dozens beg in the streets side by side with the pro° fessional Asiatic mendicants, which is a bad thing for the so-called "prestige of the white race."

On tlie other hand, tlie greater part of the Russian papulation, of Shanghai, .' upwards of 30,000 now, is as well off . as can be* expected in this place and time of uncertainty and tribulation,: Some are distinctly prosperous, nor is.; that prosperity in any way attributable to aid, encouragement or sympathy from the Japanese. Communism Their Enemy So it was with a good deal of astonishment- that Shanghai observed theformal advocacy of the Japanese cause and the declaration of any intent to side with them in every way possible. Trite, there is a minority of tho Eiis. sians, perhaps a cultural minority, that '■ has expressed its resentment and disgust at the action. It has made itself'-: very articulate lliroujili the correspondeuce columns of the newspapers of •Shanghai, and violently attacked everyone who has suggested that the ineetiiV in the old hotel was representative. .

Nevertheless, Shanghai people, other" than Russians, are pretty nearly unanimous in their belief that it was representative. They are surprised and disappointed that the "whites" here, all of • whom have been treated sympathetic-•" ally and generously from the start, • should definite!}' and categorically side with the Japanese who, apart from ' their conduct of the war itself, are male-"' ing themselves exceedingly objectionable 3 in the foreign and once-foreign areas of Shanghai and growing more and more aggressive and indifferent to foreign • iiiterests every day.

Many Europeans insist that the Russians foresee a- complete Japanese control of Shanghai, present foreign districts and all, and so are already*", anticipating that eventuality. The fact remains that, despite the vehemence of.' those who profess to be unsympathetic - to the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo axis in the ' local Press, no one of the many Russian organisations lias seen fit formally" , to repudiate the action of the As tor Z House Hotel gathering. And so the conclusion is inescapable that it' was '■ representative. Those responsible for'it. and jicrticipating in it defend them- - selves by insisting ' that . "white" Russians have no friends anywhere, that their fight lias been, is, arid always must be, against Communism, and so they must ally themselves to its.' enemies, regardless of all other considera* "j tions. '

Yet the fact remains that the-Rus-sians of Shanghai have not been both- r ered by Communists or Communism. „v There are very few of the former, among those present and no one .ever hears anything from that few. There is'- V a small Soviet Consulate on a quiet ?• side street, but no outward evidence of their own way here so far as Russian .\ politics are concerned and have had from, the outset. Their personal security and their economic interests are under, in' the main, French extraterritorial pro-* tection. They even constitute three-.iy fourths of the membership, of the so- V called Cercle Sportif Francais, the.. French Club that was founded by the ! •" French residents of Shanghai and'used to be composed chiefly of them. They, -'- have nothing whatever to fear from the. Japanese, unless, as aforesaid, these by ...J' and bye gain control of Shanghai en- ' tirely. TJiere is no sound reason for expecting, that to happen. So the only .. # logical conclusion is that the majority of Russian emigres in Shanghai have no use for democracy in spite of the/aid they have had from it.