THE CHINESE TURMOIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21069, 31 December 1931, Page 5

THE CHINESE TURMOIL.

ANTI-FOREIGN SENTIMENT. | i SALUTARY LESSON NEEDED. FORMER RESIDENT'S VIEWS. "It, -will bo a groat pity if the Leagueof Nations succeeds in bolstering up the Chinese against Japan in Manchuria," said Mr. E. S. Little, of Kerikeri. in discussing the Far Eastern situation yesterday. Mr. Little, who has spent 45 years of his lifo in China, and latterly was chief representative there of Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited, returned this month from a visit which extended throughout most of the last northern summer. For part of the time Mr. Little was at iiis seaside bungalow at Pei-tai-ho, near Shanhaikuan, where tho Great Wall of China meets tlio ■ sea. This is not very far removed from tho Manchurian zono of hostilities and is only a few miles from tho Tientsin-Mukden railroad, which is tho main lino of communication of the Cluneso troops there. Speaking from his long experience of Chinese affairs, Mr.. Little said ho was convinced that it would bo far bitter in the long run if the Nationalist Government declared war on Japan and the issue was fought out. "It is timo that tho situation came to a head," ho declared. "There would bo bloodshed, but in tho end it would bo for tho good of the Chinese peoplo themselves. For years past tho new rulers of China havo been treating all foreigners with contempt, breaking agreements and allowing lives to be taken and property destroyed. The Powers have shown the most extraordinary forbearance, which has been mistaken for weakness. An Impotent Army. "Marshal Chiang Kai-shek boasted some time beforo liis retirement that China had 3,000.000 soldiers under arms," said Mr. Little. "The war-lords undcubtedly believe that they aro able to deal with the Japanese or any other foreign army, and that they can do as they like. Some time ago a Japanese force of 3000 drove 30,000 Chijiese troops out of tho city of Sirinnfu, although there were 110,000 more Chinese troops in the neighbourhood. That experience docs not seem to convince them that they cannot meet tho Japanese on equal terms, but if war came they would learn a muchneeded lesson, and the position of foreigners in China would be very greatly improved." So far as tho League of Nations was concerned, Mr: Little failed to see that the general principles it laid down Were applicable to a local dispute such as that in Manchuria. Tho League took the attitude that it was not awaro of tho facts, but that hostilities must cease. Actually, tho files of the British Foreign Office could provide all tho information that was needed, and incidentally abundant justification for Japan's action in taking to armed force against tho lawless Chinese soldiery, who were for all practical purposes no better than bandits. Japan's Many Wrongs. "At tho present time no foreigner in China is safe unless he is near enough to the coast to bo within tho protection of his own country's navy," continued Mr. Little. "Tho Japaneso in particular havo suffered all kinds of outrages. Their people have been murdered and huge quantities of goods have been seized. Wholesale boycotts havo been declared against them. To-day Japan has 7000 claims for injury awaiting arbitration, and can get no redress. "A crisis came last summer, when Captain Nakimura, a Japanese military officer travelling in Mongolia on his Government's business under a passpost vised by the Chinese authorities, was seized by soldiers and most cruelly murdered. Japan demanded satisfaction, but the Nationalist Government denied all knowledge of Captain Nakimura. Gnlv when Japan had sent its own investigators to Mongolia and had laid bare all the facts did tho Government admit anything. "Japan h;*; every reason for seeking security in Manchuria, which' has . never been part of China proper, and was only sparsely populated by its native inhabitants, tho Manchus. Latterly it has been; colonised by Chinese, mostly from the overcrowded Shantung Peninsula. In my own time I have seen the population grow from 4,000,000 to 40,000,000. The Japanese do not stand the cold of the bleak plains and hillsides well, but they have formed a number of little settlements on the railways and have opened coal and iron mines. An Unhopeful Outlook. "Japan lias no near outlet except in Korea and Manchuria for her surplus population, which amounts to 850,000 a year, and it seems quite fair that she should havo a freo hand to develop Manchuria without interference from the Chinese war-lords and their bandit armies. There is no call for the League of Nations to interfere in the dispute, which is local and most unlikely to have repercussions elsewhere." Speaking of conditions in China generally, Mr. Littlo said that ho saw littlo hopo of a stable government in the present generation. As one Chinese had expressed it to him, tlio revolution had come too easily. In tho old days, when a warlord had attained to supremo power, he had invariably wiped out all possible rivals in wholesale bloodshed, thereby establishing himself in fact, and in the regard of tho people. Since tho revolution China had produced no leader capable of such ruthlessness. There was no prospect of anything but unstable government and continued lawlessness. Foreigners in China. Much had been heard lately of "young Cliina"—the student class—and its loud demands for war with Japan. That students were stated to have compelled . tho resignation of Chiang Kai-shek from tlio presidency showed very well the topsyturvy state of China to-day. Students had been a turbulent class there even in the days of tho old culture. It was astonishing still to find what an influence they had over tho uneducated. He had seen a boy of 12 haranguing a crowd of middleaged labourers, who listened to his immature words with tho utmost respect. When, as at Nanking recently, the authorities had dealt (irmly with the su ollen-hmded young people, the trouble hj; ,t • liekly ended. " '• hero are people who dislike talk aliimi i he interests of foreigners in China," said Mr. Little in conclusion. "It is true tliat Europeans and Japanese arc thero to trade, but to say that they are out to exploit the Chinoso is nonsense. So far from taking wealth away from the native population, they have brought prosperity to enormous numbers of Chinese by*;? developing natural resources and providing employment in industry. In every area under the direct administration of foreigners the Chinese are prosperous and contented. Foreign residents havo done much for China, and the present revulsion of feeling is sadly against the country's real interests. If the Chinese could be brought to their senses by it, even a war with Japan would riot bo in vain."