AFFAIRS IN THE EAST

Evening Star, Issue 21638, 6 February 1934, Page 7

AFFAIRS IN THE EAST

JAPAN'S PROGRESS IHTENTIBHS IN MAKGHURIA After living fur ten years in Peking, as the chaplain Lu the ißritisli Legation there, the Rev J. T. Holman, who is visiting Christchurch. has been able to form some interesting opinions about political affairs in the Last, some ol which he gave to a representative ol the ‘ Press.' Asked about the Chinese attitude to Japanese aggression in Manchuria, Mr Holman mentioned that he had known the new Emperor of Manchuria, Pu Yi, formerly the child Emperor of China, and now absolutely under the domination ol Japan. Under Pu Yi, Mr Holman said, the Japanese would eventually spread their influence throughout the whole of Northern China. The Japanese annexation of Manchuria was undertaken primarily because of Japan’s fear of Russia. Believing that she would have, in the- end, to meet Russia in war, Japan had decided that who would rather do so on the plains of Manchuria and Mongolia. It could not be said that the Japanese aimed at the colonisation of Manchuria, for the climate was too cold. The Lytton report-gave the situation very fairly, and had been received favourably by the Chinese, who, as a race, had -shown the greater anger against the Japanese. The consequent Chinese boycott of Japanese goods was still effective. But there was one compensating feature for ■ the 3U,Ot)O,UOU Chinese actually occupying Manchuria. They had -now what they had not had for many years—a stable government. “ But nothing is going to stop Japan in her progress. Neither America nor Britain thinks that it would be worth while to stop her. for to do so would mean war.” You can sleep easily in your beds about that,” Mr Holman said, when asked whether ho thought that there was any foundation in the fears sometimes expressed in Australia ■ and New Zealand ■ of Japanese • aggression further south. “ There seems no reason lor such an aggression ’to me.” Life in the British Legation had been interesting enough, Mr Holman added, and there had been times when it was’ exciting. But the feeling of the Chinese in the north towards tlie British was one of great friendliness. In Peking there were five nations represented at the Legation Great Britain, the United States of America, France, Japan, and Italy. There was a ’ British guard of 250 soldiers, and the eighty Ttalian marines there were of a very fine type. Living was verycheap. and at an hotel in the Legation at Peking one was able to have the best of everything for £llO a'year. Mr Holman has retired from service, in China, and is now returning to England to live. He is touring New Zealand before doing so.