JAPAN AND CHINA.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 326, 20 January 1932, Page 7

JAPAN AND CHINA.

Marking Time in Manchurian Situation. SCOURGE OF BANDITRY. “ I think that at the present time we don’t hear of any development of hostilities in Manchuria, as the Japanese are marking time in order to present a good case to the League of Nations.” That was the comment made this morning on the situation in Manchuria by Mr H. F. von Haast, of Wellington, who recently returned from the conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations at Shanghai and is visiting Christchurch. Mr von Haast said that it was claimed by the Chinese that several of the incidents, such as the blowing up of railways, attributed to them were done at Japanese instigation. It was also alleged that the Japanese were responsible for some of the attacks by bandits. Bandits were one of the scourges of China, roving over the country and making life unsafe for all. The menace was such that, with Communists and war lords, the bandits w*ere upsetting the whole of China. On that account there arose the great difficulty that China seemed unable to govern herself. Japan’s Vast Interests. . The Japanese had vast interests in Manchuria, including gold mines and railways, which they wanted to protect. The Japanese did not migrate to any great extent and the number in Manchuria was comparatively small, consisting chiefly of merchants, officials and traders. The bulk of the farmers were Chinese, and something like two million Chinese entered the district periodically. Thus there was the singular position of the Japanese taking over the country to protect their interests, following the failure of the Chinese to establish a stable Government. The Chinese and Japanese were very dependent on each other, stated Mr von Haast, and it was really vital for both of them that they should come to some agreement and avoid war. If the League of Nations could keep them from one another’s throats long enough for some sort of an agreement to be reached, it would justify its existence. It had been suggested that a solution was for Japan to take over the economic government and China to have sovereignty, but that seemed to be out of the question. No Stable Government. The whole trouble in China was the lack of a stable Government, and until that was obtained he failed to see how the country could progress at all. He could not see how they would arrive at a stable Government unless a strong dictator came to the front. Mr von Haast said that the Chinese seemed determined to evade their obligations entered into with Japan. They were building parallel railways to take away the trade from the railways controlled by the Japanese, and were trying to make an opposition port to Diaren, that controlled by the Japanese. He could only assume that the Russians were keeping quiet because there was some arrangement with Japan by which they would get some concession for non-interference in Manchuria.