Harbin, Jan. 23.
Notwithstanding that, according to the census of Harbin taken a year ago, the Japanese population of town is not 2000 souls, there are unmistakable that the Japanese are increasing their interests in this northern commercial centre with a marked rapidity and that it is only a question of time before a large portion of both the import and export trade will get into their hands. Unlike those of the towns and settlements in South Manchuria, where a large proportion of the Japanese residents are in Government or railway employ and where there are all sorts of nondescripts who pick up a living in a precarious sort of way, the Japancee of Harbin are mostly engaged in trading, whilst many of the largest firms in Japan have branch offices in the town and a numerous staff of assistants. Thanks to the war Japanese imports are finding their way into northern Manchuria in ever-increasing quantities, for Russian wants must be satisfied now that neither Austrian nor German goods can enter and old stocks are exhausted.
Japanese imports for the use of the Chinese are also on the increase, for the wave of the Chinese settling movement aot only along Orig f
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.