CHINA’S ISLE OF CONTENT

Evening Star, Issue 23325, 22 July 1939, Page 28

CHINA’S ISLE OF CONTENT

KULAHGSU’S PEACE DISTURBED BY JAPAN FRIENDLY LITTLE FOREIGN COMMUNITY Kulangsu, or _ Isle of Sounding Waters (less politically Drum Wave Island), a small idyllically peaceful community of only square miles, has suddenly leaped into the limelight as a result of Japan’s aggression. On the map it is only a dot scarcely distinguishable from Amoy. In reality there are, opposite the mouth of the Pei Chi or Dragon River, two humped islands, only half a mile from the mainland, and about an equal distance from each other (writes Madeline Manday. in the ‘ Sydney Morning Herald ’). Amoy, when we scanned it on the starboard bow as our ship anchored in tho channel between the two, was an abomination of desolation compared with the pretty little green-clad refuge on our left. For over Amoy flew a tattered Japanese flag; her stone stores with deep verandahs facing out to sea and gaping holes and tilting roofs Her foreshore was deserted except for a few squat khaki figures piling into a shabby shark boat, and in the dust of her empty square a platoon of infantry tried to give an impression of busy occupation to a dead land. On Kulangsu, however, with its tiny rambling lanes and its air of timeless leisure, all was peace. Even the floors of the school rooms and foreign churches where refugees from the unluckier isle slept, were spotlessly clean and free 1 from dust.

For the little place is bountifully supplied with water which the people draw from wells, and down each side of the smooth asphalted paths runnels carry it away to the sea_. No wonder the roads—if roads they can be called when the widest is scarcely 10ft in span—were smooth and unworn; no wonder faces wrinlkl*! slowly and friends cast up by the tide of fortune from . busy Shanghai on. to the shores of Kulangsu professed themselves content. A friendly ISLE. For no wheeled vehicles, no clatter of boots, no grunt of sweating rickshaw, coolie, no shrill bicycle bell jangled our nerves as we sauntered along well in the middle of the path. All these things are unknown to the Isle of Sounding Waters. If one is invited out at night, one walks; the distance can’t be moro than a mile at most. , Invalids can hire a “ carry-chair ” ordered well in advance from some tradesman who plies some other trade and keeps a “ chair ” us a side line.

, The 250 . foreigners form a_ friendly little community and pass their leisure playing cards and tennis, visiting each other’s porticoed houses set back in gardens tangled with bougainvella and flame o’ the forest trees, or they go swimming bn the lovely white sand beach, ignoring as best they may the Japanese destroyer anchored watchfully far out in the roods, '■ For, after all, Japan has not taken possession of the Chinese mainland back of Amoy and Kulangsu. She merely fought a series of sanguinary engagements to capture the Chinese island port, and finally succeeded, while shots from the bitter contest spattered peaceful Kulangsu’s waterfront buildings, and desperate Chinese soldiers tried to; swim the swiftly-flowing channel to safety. Amoy, however, only turned to dust and asnes, literally, in Japanese hands. Trade, which had made the place, forsook it with its population and with its entire severance from the unconquered mainland, where vigilant troops foiled constant landing attempts of the enemy. So Amoy’s erstwhile traders, after obediently lining up at the great Japanese hospital in Kulangsu for inoculation and “passes ” to return, went back for one brief visit to their abandoned storehouses, ■ gathered what they could from the debris, and embarked on some foreign ship for parts unknown, perchance never to return again. To the abandoned shell of Amoy came flocking Formosans in their hundreds, took possession of the deserted stores, the ruined homes, like, a swarm, of locusts. But it availed them little; for there was no trade. Only the Japanese marines were there to constitute their customers. The looming mainland hold only menace for the hated invader, .- THE INVADER COMES. Across that half-mile channel sunny Kulangsu smiled, while foreign ships which formerly called at Amoy on their regular routine now dropped anchor nearer to the international island and shipped supplies from there only. There may have been—there probably was—smuggling in plenty between the mainlane, and friendly Kulangsu: that is, if the name of smuggling, can he given to the transport of goods by sea unperceived by a patrolling enemy, Or concealed in junks flying the hated flag. Such goods eventually found their way in broad daylight into the holds of these bold foreign ships under the very nose of exasperated Nippon. So the invader began to covet the prosperous little isle, and with the usual kind of excuse, shattered itis peace cruelly one day _by landing marines and arresting Chinese.

It is a far .cry from this modern tails to the old history of Kulangsu, forgotten now in its drowsy days of quietude but once! blood-thirsty and dramatic. For Koxinga, the famous pirate, once made the islet his headquarters, and kept there a fleet of 8,000 junks and an. army .of 300,000 men, besides proclaiming hiniself leader of all pirates along the coast. There is a rather ruthless page of British history—and not so far back, either—connected with Amoy and Kulangsu, which we bombarded agaihst heroic resistance, seized, and ‘T punished ” in revenge for Chinese Contrariness in, quite a. different quarter- --v Later, when peace was made, Amoy was thrown open as a treaty, port to foreign trade, and though, by inadvertence, the name of little Kulangsu was omitted from the pact, and,- therefore, the place was handed back, it did eventually become an international' settlement, a Shanghai in !' . DRAMA AT SHANGHAI, In 1937, most of Kulangsu’s Customs cruisers and light patrol boats, warned by seizure in other ports, fled to Hongkong, where they holed up against some better day. The land! staff, vacated Kulangsu from Amoy, during the actual fighting, _ but took up empty-handed posts again amidst the devastation when pointedly requested to do So by tho Japanese. They went over to the other island; however,- to sleep: _ Naturally, to Shanghailauders, any Japanese pressure ■on little' Kulangsu! seems a foretaste of whit may he expected at Shanghai, if it • succeedsJapan’s Foreign Minister, Arita, has just stated that his-, country is impatient with the Powers for their inability to recognise Nipponese preponderant rights in. our Settlement,: and -that) Shanghai “ must submit to a surgical operation ” in the near future. It should; be emphasised that it Is not the landing of troops but demands tor virtual control of the island sett'emeua that constitute a .threat. Japanese troops, as .well as . foreign ones, may be landed in any international zone. " Unfortunately, those which ■ landed in Shanghai in. 1937 are still: in. occupation of tho industrial district in; -this city, v and show no sign of ■ fading it back. < Just as British, and. American troops holdseptors comprising mqst pf the unoccupied portion here, so British and American bluejackets can, with perfect propriety, be landed- in, Knlanssu on the pretext of sharing ip the pro-: tectioft which Japan ,is suddenly so anxious to afford the island. ;

A veritable thrill ran through Shanghai when it . was learned that th •* ■B; itish, French,' and Americans had issued a virtual ultimatuior to the invadert, and then, with meticulous .accuracy, each landed a . party of sailors equal in size to the Japanesq one. Seven 1' foreign fighting ships surging spic and span into that tiny arena, putting to shade the shabby and antiquated cruiser from Nippon which had been doing all the bullying 1 ' ' ■ , Arid now we breathe more freely hero, too. For,' on top of their joint! show of power in; Kulangsu, the Powers staged a nice little show in Shanghai. Suddenly, in secrecy, every man jack of our local volunteers, our local Russian" regiment, a party of Seoforth' Highlanders; American marines, h’uejackets, _ and police raked the settlement with a tooth comb, searching everyone at barricades, raiding terrorist hideouts, seizing on the streets copies of a Chinese daily which had just been suspended for wording its articles in a .manner displeasing to Nippon. . . .. In short, a gigantic - exhibition of the Powers’ determination to keep at- all costs what remains of Shanghai from falling into the greedy hands of Japan.