Manchuria at the Crossroads

• Date: 01 July 1933
• DOI: 10.1177/000271623316800110
• Author: Ching-Chun Wang
• Published date: 01 July 1933
• Subject Matter: Articles

Manchuria at the Crossroads
By CHING-CHUN WANG
MANCHURIA is the old name by take turns to sit on the grandstand or
which the three northeastern
to enter the contest as they wish. As
provinces of Liaoning, Kirin and
happens in small towns, those on the
Heilungkiang are called. Its area is
grandstand sometimes also join the
365,000 square miles, which is about
contest, siding with one team or the
equal to Germany and France com-
other.
bined. Its agricultural and mineral
Russia’s interest at present is
resources, including coal, iron, and
largely centered in the Chinese East-
gold, are also about equal to those of
ern Railway, which is owned and man-
Germany and France together. It is
aged on a fifty-fifty basis with China.
called China’s granary, and strategi-
As the Soviets are on the grandstand
cally it is known as &dquo; China’s helmet.&dquo;
at the moment, we shall more fully ex-
Its population is about 30,000,000, of
amine the Chinese and Japanese
which over 95 per cent are Chinese.
teams which are now in the arena.
Manchuria was absorbed by China
in the Tang dynasty, beginning about
WHAT HAPPENED
620 A.D., and is an integral part of the
In the small hours of September
nation. In fact, Manchuria is more
18, 1931, the people of Mukden, the
Chinese than such provinces as
capital of Liaoning Province, were
Kiangsu, Chekiang, Fukien, and
suddenly wakened by the firing of
Kwangtung, at least from the lan-
machine guns and heavy artillery. At
guage point of view, because all Man-
first they thought that the Japanese
churians speak good national Man-
railway guards were practicing their
darin, while most people of the coastal
sham street fights, as they had done
provinces speak dialects.
on several occasions during that sum-
Largely on account of its potential
mer ; but they soon discovered that
wealth and strategic position, Man-
this time it was not a rehearsal, but the
churia’s importance in world politics
real show. According to a prear-
has increased ever since the Sino-
ranged plan, the Japanese &dquo; railway
Japanese War of 1895. Generally
guards&dquo; marched out of the railway
speaking, Manchuria is divided into
zone and attacked Mukden city from
two sections, with Russia’s influence in
all the vantage points with machine
the north and Japan’s influence in the
guns and artillery.
south like a shading drawn over a
Believing that the Japanese firing
background of the general influence of
was due to some misunderstanding,
China. For several decades these
and in order to prevent precipitation
three northeastern provinces have
of a serious situation there and then,
been crisscrossed by the interplay of
the Chinese commanders gave im-
political and economic forces among
mediate order to retreat without re-
these three neighbors. Manchuria
sistance wherever the Japanese &dquo; rail-
is somewhat like a football field, with
way guards&dquo; should appear. Thus,
China, Japan, and Russia each fur-
by early morning the whole city of
nishing a team. These three teams
Mukden and its neighborhood, includ-
64

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65
ing the Governor’s residence, the ar-
capital, and occupied all Manchuria
senal, the airport, the barracks, the
and Jehol-a territory equal to that of
telegraph offices, and the wireless sta-
Germany, France, and Italy combined.
tion, were occupied by the Japanese.
After prolonged bickering and in-
Realizing the seriousness of the situ-
numerable promises of co6peration
ation, China immediately informed
with the League, Japan finally refused
the League of Nations, then in session
to abide by the unanimous decision
at Geneva, of what had happened, and
for conciliation which the League
at the same time repeated her orders
reached under the guidance of the
to the troops in Manchuria to retreat
unanimous report of the Lytton Com-
without resistance pending the action
mission of Inquiry consisting of dis-
of the League. China also stated to
tinguished representatives of Great
the League of Nations that she was
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and
ready to place the whole Sino-Japa-
the United States, which was ap-
nese controversy before the League
pointed by the League of Nations at
and abide by its ruling.
Japan’s own request to study the
The Japanese Army in the mean-
whole Manchurian situation on the
time pushed its attack in all directions
spot.
with increased vigor and violence, and
within
JAPAN’S TREATY RIGHTS
a few days occupied all the im-
portant cities of the two provinces of
It is generally accepted that Japan
Liaoning and Kirin with little resist-
has over three hundred cases in which
ance.
The Council of the League of
its treaty rights have been violated by
Nations, with the single dissenting
China, that &dquo;Japan’s only desire is to
vote of Japan, passed a resolution on
defend the sanctity of existing trea-
October 24 to the effect that the Japa-
ties,&dquo;2 and that Japan &dquo;seeks to jus-
nese Army should immediately begin
tify its course in Manchuria on legal
to withdraw into the South Manchuria
grounds.&dquo;
3
In spite of China’s de-
Railway zone and that the withdrawal
nials, the world was convinced of
should be completed by November 16,
Japan’s righteousness and sympa-
when the Council would meet again.1
thized with its action to counter
Japan countered by pushing her
&dquo;Chinese aggression against Japanese
army of occupation with re6nforce-
treaty rights no less real because cov-
ments into the interior in all directions.
ertly pursued.&dquo;4
4
In order to clarify
Bombing from airplanes and battles of
matters, therefore, we propose to in-
varied seriousness have continued ever
quire into the three hundred odd cases
since. In spite of repeated promises
of Japan’s treaty rights and its legiti-
to withdraw its troops into the railway
mate grievances, in the light of the Re-
zone and to avoid all action that might
port of the Lytton Commission, which
aggravate the situation, Japan has re-
was the result of painstaking investi-
duced to ashes Chapei, a prosperous
gation made on the spot.
section of Shanghai, thereby render-
ing its 500,000 inhabitants homeless,
General treaty rights-
and has bombarded Nanking, China’s
Japan’s rights in Manchuria were
for the first time set forth in the Ports-
1
League of Nations, Official Journal, 12th
year, No. 12, Dec. 1931, pp. 2340-2359; here-
2

Foreign Affairs, Jan. 1932, p. 226.
after called the League of Nations, Official
3
Ibid.
Journal.
4

Ibid., p. 223.

---

66
mouth Treaty of 1905, which provided
from Yuan Shih-kai cannot be valid
that, with China’s consent, Russia
until it is ratified by the National Leg-
should cede to Japan her interests in
islature, and that Japan has not yet
South Manchuria consisting of the
been able to secure that ratification
branch line of the Chinese Eastern
from any national legislative body
Railway from Changchun to Port
that has met since. Furthermore,
Arthur and Dairen, and the Kwan-
since the 1915 treaty was forced from
tung Leased Territory. According to
a peaceable and friendly neighbor by
this treaty, China has the right to ap-
the threat of war, without any provo-
point the president of this branch rail-
cation, it cannot claim validity in the
way and to redeem it beginning 1939,
light of international law.
while the term of the Leased Territory
was to expire in 1923. By a separate
Parallel railways-
agreement, China in 1905 granted to
One of Japan’s most grave charges
Japan the privilege to operate the rail-
is China’s violation of its treaty rights
way from Mukden to Antung, on the
concerning the building of parallel
border of Korea, but reserved the
railways. Japan claims that a secret
right to redeem it after eighteen years,
treaty stipulates:
or beginning about 1923. These two
branch lines linked together form the
The Chinese Government engages, for
South Manchuria Railway.
the purpose of protecting the interests of
the South Manchuria
Japan, however, from the
Railway, not to con-
very be-
struct, prior to the
ginning has ignored China’s right to
recovery by it of the
said railway, any main line in the neigh-
appoint the president of the Chang-
borhood of and parallel to that railway,
chun-Dairen-Port Arthur Railway,
or any branch line which might be prej-
while Russia, even during her heydays,
udicial to the interests of the above-men-
always reserved that post of the Chi-
tioned railway.
nese Eastern Railway for China in
accordance with the agreement. In
It was on the basis of this &dquo;treaty
1915, when the world was preoccupied
right&dquo; that Japan in 1906, in secret
by the World War, Japan, without the
agreement with Russia, defeated the
least provocation or warning, pre-
Knox neutralization scheme, by which
sented to Yuan Shih-kai, then Presi-
America and Great Britain attempted
dent of China, the famous Twenty-
to introduce international co6peration
one Demands in such a secret way
for the development of Manchuria as
(and Japan so flatly denied the exist-
a world market, thereby preventing it
ence of such demands) that for weeks
from falling prey to any one nation’s
no other nation could get any par-
monopolistic exploitation-a scheme
ticulars of these demands. After
which would probably have averted
much secret coercion and with an ul-
the present Manchurian crisis.
timatum threatening immediate war,
From the beginning, China has de-
Japan forced Yuan Shih-kai to accept
nied the existence of any such treaty.
four of the five groups of the Twenty-
But Japan’s claim has been so...