Northern Manchuria in Danger From Rodney Gilbert Peking, Aug. 5.
Authentic reports from two distinct sources received yesterday in Peking confirm the Chinese suspicion that as a result of a conspiracy between the Japanese militarists, Russian reactionaries and Simionov, a desperate attempt is about to be made to seize the Chinese Eastern Railway and to eject the Chinese military forces from northern Manchuria.
The first report states that Russian reactionary officers have been assembling and secretly conspire ing with Japanese in Harbin for many months past. If was planned that when the Japanese began to withdraw from Siberia the Chinese Eastern Railway should be seized and turned over to-the control of Russian reactionaries. The latter were to start recruiting troops with the ostensible purpose of guarding the Russian stores on the line, and the Chinese were to be told that this force would eventually be officered by Chinese. This plan was approved by both the Railway Board and the Japanese military authorities since when have actually been taken to ci out the scheme.
high Russian officer named Olaginkoft has his headquarters at Harbin, and with him are 24 Brigadier-Generals and double that number of Liout.-Generals who have been assigned various points on the railway to recruit and command troops. There are also 800 junior and non-commissioned officers under the guise of privates.
When the Japanese start their withdrawal from Siberia bridges will be demolished and the track destroyed to excuse their delay and occupation of the line. the destruction being blamed upon the Reds. Russian officers will then demand from Chinese arms and the control of the line, and the Japanese will intervene on the ground that the Chinese cannot protect the railway. Simionov will lend assistance if the Chinese resist, and the latter will be forced to evacuate.
The following information has been obtained from independent sources. General Tanaka instructed the Japanese commander at Vladivostok on July 14 to send police and detectives to Manchuli Hailar, Anganki and Harbin with orders to seize the railway telegraph offices if necessary. _Preparations were also to be made to plant the Chinese by Russians the railway employees by the Japanese engineering corps. Orders were given to the Japanese Major-General at Harbin on July 19 to report on movements and numbers of Chinese troops along the railway, The 5th Regiment at Chita was also instructed on July 20 to withdraw troops immediately from the Baikal district to Fengtien with the object of protecting jeopardized
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.