NORTH CHINA’S FATE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12751, 6 January 1936, Page 8

NORTH CHINA’S FATE

25 COUNTIES MADE PART OE

NEW STATE

“HARMONY’’ WITH JAPAN ADMITTED.

TOKYO. Nov. 25

The separatist movement in North China— long-heralded by a barrage ot rumors—started yesterday with the declaration of art autonomous regime embracing 2d counties in Hopei and C'habar provinces, embracing a demilitarised zone inhabited by approximately 4,000.000 Chinese. This sudden move, represents a decidedly modest development as compared with the earlier forecasts in tho Japanese press which gave the provinces north of the Yellow River, with 90,000,000 inhabitants, in a Lreak-away from the Nanking Government.

WHERE JAPAN RULES

It is significant that the autonomous movement, actually started in tho zone where Japanese military pressure is strongest and where Chinese troops may not enter, under the terms of the- Tangku truce. The fact that Japan preserves an attitude of benevolent neutrality toward tho new development suggests that the movement is a trial balloon. If it spreads, Japanese generals—who have repeatedly described the masses of North China as groaning under the yoke of Nanking—will presumably he gratified, if it fails no great change in existing conditions will necessarily occur.

EDUCATED CHINESE PROTEST,

A strongly worded manifesto against autonomy, issued by the noted scholar, Hit Shih, and the Chancellor of Peiping National University, reflects the general attitude of China’s educated classes as a correspondent observed it during a recent trip, in North China. Uncertainty as to future developments is enhanced because, while probably no influential Chinese leader of North China would secede on his own initiative, it is doubtful whether any leader would fail to co-operate in an autonomy movement sponsored by Japan, if convinced that the penally for faiureto co-opera to would he loss of power and revenues.