May 27.
YesTERDAY's paper provided an instructive contrast in Soviet styles: in one column Comrade Karakhan was reported speaking at the Japanese Minister's dinner given to celebrate the Russo-Japanese Treaty; in another, on the same page. he was shown storming at the Waichipopu. At the Legation, butter would not have melted in the Comrade's mouth. Russia had been absent from the shores of. the Pacific for reasons he wish-led to forget; but she had come back and her interests were the interests of peace in the Pacific, }with the all-important economic interests bound up in the Far Bast "and the Chinese Eastern Railway, now under our joint management with China." But the note to the Waichiaopu, which is concerned with this very question of "joint management" of the CER. and the Soviet's interpretation of the term, is couched in the best style lof Bolshevik bullying and blush ter. For there is nothing just now which the Soviet wishes to [get out of China. will be remembered that jour Harbin correspondent, writ ington April 15, described the consternation caused among employees of the C.E.R. by an o1 der, known as Order 94, which Comrade Ivanoff, manager the line, had issued, (ordering the dismissal from June 1 of all employees not registered as ese or Soviet citizens. By this order were affected some hundreds of Poles, Letts, Lithuanians and Esthonians, men who had been with the railway in some cases for twenty years: they had originally been Russian subjects but, when their countries gained their independlence, assumed citizenship under their own flags. There were also about 3,006 Russians who, for one reason or another, could not take out Soviet passports. Our Peking correspondent, writing on May 1, said that the Chinese directors of the C.ELR. were in an ugly mood. The management of the line, which had been lcondueted ever since the Soviet got its foot in after the most approved methods of Red despotism, with a view to the Bois! levizing of the whole concern, had been giving them great. anxiety. Out of 300 vacancies recently filled, 209 were Soviet nominees, and it needs little perspicacity to see that the real Feason for Order 94 was to make room for Bolsheviks. All this in defiance of the clear statement in the Russo-Chinese Agreement that employment on the line was to be equally divided between both nationalities.
Comrade Ivanoff had forgotten, or did not bother himself to think, that although he was manager of the CER, there was above him a Board of Directors with a Chinese as President (giving the Chinese the major ity); one Mr. Pao Kuei-ching, The Chinese directors appear to have been slack, not troubling themselves to stay in Harbin; it a long time, we are told, since a Board meeting was held and great deal of power hus consequently been assumed by the manager. But under the heavy, impact of Order 94 the worm turned, as witness the following counterblast by Mr. Pao Kuei-ching, dated May 19. This is a translation from the "Novosti Zhizn" of Harbin:—"Order No. 94 is of great import ance, since the right to engage or dismiss employees of higher rank: is the privilege of the Board of Directors who decide and pass on their decision to. the General Manager for execution, Pavagraph 10 of the Mukden agreement. provides a fitty-fifty basis for the staff and such @ one sided change of the personnel shall not take place. Comrade Ivanof had 20 yight to issue such an order as No. 4 without the consent of the Board, and the order is therefore declared nul Jand void. A mass dismissal, without previously preparing another staff, would farther handi normal activities of the Rail Managing Director, whose duty it fs to look after the interests of the CER, declare Order No. 94 null Jand all employees are hereby order-fed to remain in. their places." According to the Harbin' paper Comrade Grant, the Bolshevik Consul-General who is also vice-president of the line, telegraphed to Comrade Karakhan, that Jas he had never signed Mr. Pao Kuei-ching's notice, it was illegal under Article 6 of the Mukden Agreement. But how about Comrade Ivanoff's order? That clearly is illegal too, Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Unfortunately we have not ithe full text of Comrade Karakhan's note to the Waichiaopy. But from the summary given, while he certainly dwells on the alleged illegality of Inv. Pao Kai-ching's order, he seems to be far more concerned over what hho calls "the continuous patronizing of White and Monarchist elements." His note would be more effective if he could prove the legality of Order 94: but this for obvious reasons ne not do and he has, therefore, to fall back on abuse of Mr. Pao and his "act of overt assistance to irresponsible, criminal and monarchist elements, still to be found in the employ of the CER." All of which is very childish and lays Comrade Karakhan open to such an easy retort, "What on earth have T to do with the politics of the ilwaymen?" one imagifies Mr. Pao saying. "All I have' to think of is getting the work of the railway done, and so long'as the staff do it well and don't give trouble, they can think whatever they please, Ivanoff's order, which he knew perfectly tweil he had no right to issue, might easily have caused a riot; in any case, it would have done immense harm to the working of the railway—which, in paseing, has cuffered quite enotigh already since we lost Ostrounioft land took on the Reds—and my business was to block it at or fee. Of course, if you like, it can'go before a directors' meeting, but that won't help you very much, will But, as we said at the begin" ning, the story is chiefly interesting for the example it gives of Soviet methods. The late Mr. Joseph Chamberlain got into: hot water once for quoting in connexion with Russia the proverb that he who would sup with the devil has need of a long spdon, The appositeness of which has certainly been proved by evéryone who has tried dealing with the Bolshevik. What does Chfna see? Mongolia a depenieney, of Moscow's, with a coinage modelled by the Soviet; the Chinese Eastern Railway going the same way as fast as it can; Harbin merchants forced to move' to Tientsin because Red regulations have Killed their trade;
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.