"JAPANESE SOIL"

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1938, Page 17

"JAPANESE SOIL"

AFFAIR IN PEKING

ITS WIDE IMPLICATIONS

I Just how much Japan Zcpnjsider^ it owns in North China-is still a "debafed point, writes a Shanghai correspondent; But a recent incident has findicitgd how ..sharply Japan has ranged itself against the rest of the M^foreitjn'' Powers in China—a breach of" precedent that may ' envisagel ; sifenifeant consequences. ; ; -'/ '■"■). y r\ '"• "V--^ "V- •' ; The "aflfair"-r—though lasting j'pnly through one eveningr-occiirred. -wlieii Japanese military forces assumed,;conirol over 'Peking's historic £egaiibri' Quarter, which was the f bdal 'p'biht^ of the Boxersiege at Ahe' turn: of "the century.--- ■-.....■;,;,•.-...■ ,:- ;.;..-. ''■~-'i, \r::- ; ■ - I Traffic on - the .streets., of^th^.-iinte*-hationally-controlled [ Qiiarter .' "Was halted,. inueh* inqpnveiiierice ;.: iwas caused, arid,-:a : |^^ Japanese;.. s6ldijßr?;WJtb^. fixed bayonet was' placed" outside tHe entrance o£ the British limjaassy.* All this was quite unprecedented,; for pre» -| vious trouble* has involved eittfer tli^s united foreigners opposed to .Chinese^ 0r.,-.,,;a '.: group;.;, of,: the..fpreig^'iPo^rS,.- ■': against one unpopular"member! sufca '" as''-S(Dyiet--Kussia:.:^;-;;;"" .■:•■ '"■:■; :■•.';'■'" *"'"■?. . ;-: jfa: tliis asi.. in toa^l.jother.-^cent-, in^ -: ;■ cidents in':;various;pja^\|^:-.CKiHa;'f^U;||i:-: of the cbncefir'.-^as^i'dufe:-.^'stSe^fatiit'•',.• that; precedent was being establislied along a line, never; pnrevipuslyj cpn|eniw platejd^'.- thevrnies.^a^e&>TOn ■ ■"■- Whic^^ehm'a^^si^^:;a'gatn^tfra^ ■;.: less" front; of ffpreig^^wers^ • That: one, of tliese Powers; shojiid,^ait for months in Shanghai, be bpppsed-Apt only to China to;3 vhardiyl, .less . direct extent thoagh wiihout; -,^ violent military "\ cbnflib£-4o -:; ; 'Ate ; ;:fellowr> 1 oreignersris a thingiwnich h^s pretty thoroughly liips^t all ipast Jqalc^atipns. ; /.■■.i'-^THE : -iWAt;-'rt^iq^ii*^ .; The Peking Leg^tipn c^uartfer is riblir a sort of Sleepy Hollow; On - which foreign capitals no lb^iger^ hiye' tlie keen interest- of a; few years^.fc»ack.;'.;Biit although the issue is not now- acute, due to renidvaT -of'"mosti'pflittibi^iplomatic ' - establishments v^;s»thSi&llocatipjhs,... it iiiterest|hg #$ cheC^ up ;ioh ■thjfe; tephnicalities-^bf;,th^;^ca^ : to what extent the J^P^nese.: actually broke through precedent and rights pffiothers:, ';,-:-';.•,-; >:■ vt Following the Boxer .trouble ;came the basic -legal instrument ?furnishing the Diplomatic Quarterfewith • iteschai> ter—lhe Final Prptb*ol qt rSepfeiftber-7, 1JK)1, which established ':jhs Quartera \ special area legally I frmni Chinese control. The area jrem'aihe*! Chinese it'was sfttiapartfor use of the legations certdih elementary; municipal services-• including a police service/-of ife* pAyill' :: :r In 19Q4 an. Internatilbiia}; l^fotdcbl signed bn June 13 laid down certafii fundamentals regarding/ ■thbfcinterriai; arrangements ;of the t Quai:«e^;-andi among the obligations: ti*wr j accepted by the signatories dric|udihiF-Jipan) was—with. referjehceCj^7^'S^^'%:"%ett as other constructi^ris%tKati-i"nb "ericrpachments shall ;be madje %bjpnithe«(i by the Legations •■■.• jj 'i%-'yrfiifeh V^aay have been designed to-r^fer^tb phy?sical building tut which..; alsoc might be read to include cbntrpi,'H-,p>■•'.'••>,.;,■:'. As is stated; in / Robert Mppijß t?iii»-! can's: (^eHittS^^nicipa^ V' and the -.Dip^l<^i^ticS-T!QuaiH^^V'-XV^ chirig"lJhiversity; 1933):v^T*ie5 jsbme- " what rudimentary^ municipal^ system •\!^^<i^! ppei|i|^n;^fi^ ■ ;QUMter:yJn?l3^^ ■. ; pictee*^^|^s|p^^|j^^^ practice agairist^a complex backgfrpund : :.of- political •aiuthprity^ ; ui;:^'i^^vS^"fe;-(.-:..-

Eyeri r at .the; cqmparatiyely u\ *ec<ent / date that this Was •W&ttenY'-thevautftpr' can iiaye had no inkUng of just hdw matters wouid work out, for the? Whole nature lof; his approach other Writers pre^pposes^ s-tljkjtiaany difficulty must cpine -through \^ohirteser. encroachments' /pn-^a^uflitecl s|'fdireigit autiiority;i op at moist, that^ someijtiaflSe policing difficulties might arisei b?«iause> of diplomatic ini|ni«ii^r -granted:»|nc|ividuals.'^: '. :':'.^"^.;:-J-^.-, iy^^^'^il?^:. ■ .^ feut Mr, Dunc^ ci neyer^el^S:3iMde' some pertinent general observations, as when he further remarfce^:; '^iiat;^rtK taihsijiri the piploniatic: / Quarter 2i??iai . municipal system Which depends JfoP it* successful -'fiihctib'^i^^t^ohj^iiF^ia/ the^proper, handliiig;; of ■ soiheWhat^inr formal admin istrative ■ machinery;:; :lf)tit to: M even greater-extent up))n rthe^cooperation of the in^esen^tetives-^^j Protocol Powers in ma^<|ri|of ;geniiri|| policy in so far as municipal ad^nin»» tration in; the Quarter. :is concerneidi ■ Equally- indispensable :' : : ~., |s .Jtheiwi^ ; lihgness of indivi^uw'Cibvernnyents-'w .provide their diplomatic ;©rt cpnsiujip : representatives' Vitii adL^<»iaf^! powers : for (;toe;7;effect|ve;;;^nltroi:'; .'of^S^hjeir. ■ '.r nationals in .accordance,with.the. regju? latipns: of;i^e;,^uarter.''i:,7:.V'";:^v f > ::CXy,';■■/'■ "' ■■■Thisvobvio\isly^Tef6i;^^ ■.','•■ i^^yWuals;^:■•l^t ; .•^e.;ff/I^Bt4;,?7i^cid^t. seems so clearly an abuse of itie authority- of -the \Japah<Me-nillHapy^%ptt on« might ironically Tead; into',,-it^ a suggestion that ;jjiyaian^; > iaiftliprity j have the power to curb \ the; military . Itruculence of its own.''iiiards.',. v.^lv $■.

Control of the. : Quarter's,: street* normally-resides in -.a special force 'fat some- 70 Chinese police iuhdesr;" stipei> vision' of the Pei^i^ent" r^(^retoy'.-bii the Administrative Commission, assisted by a subordinate who devotes full time to the, duties of inspector of police. There is also an adviser on policie mfcfc-: ters; The polite haye'power of in cases which myoiy^ crime,--or disregard >of official regulations, or otiiter. disturbance to v the 'peace' ■oriAt good order of the Quarter. 4 raey^aretnpt furnished with firearms.' Ih^times.of serious public disturbances , the ;adop^- '■■ tion of general measures for protection of life and propertydevolves upon the - mllitjary' forces arid in:\a- way this migftjt be comparable► ■ to • the"position in foreign Shanghai; but even in Shanghai, much less fih ; Pekjng; r ther^ has never ■ been any question of one^mili- - tary force" taking over fullVand uniyeiv s?il control>without :sp.Much: as) a by-ybur-leave.; ■■•.; ..,. '. .',,., '-'■■■„ •:.: . k ".■■ '.V": ~ In days gone by, the'phly breaks in the united foreign , frpiijt; hay? [been where. - one Ppwer. -was . *ou^ of odoilr" -with • * the ' ' otherS. A Fdr example, ih; ' 1927 , :;Xt\e\f diplomatic -Efody secretly consented to entry *of the ■; Quarter by' the' lite 'Marshal Chang Tso-lin's armed forces to ~ raid a • portion of the Soviet Efnfeassy. About* the' same time, during a period ; when Chinese, political refugees Were in hiding' Within the; Soviet, compound, 'the Quarter's'police allowed' construction of ridges and, hpllows |n Legation Street butside; the- Soviet-Embassy

with thp ;rat}ier .childish^aim of preventing fast driving,in,.ca3e.'..- ; o,f.,some hasty entrance or getaway, 'But,Aever before lias one Power-so openly. ftaunV

Ed the rights of all the rest.. , ,