Harbin, Oct. 16, It appears that the Japanese are using the slightest excuse in order to secure themselves more firmly on the mainland bordering upon the Pacific. Their latest adventure in the Hungchun and Chientao districts, which is purely Chinese territory situated at the southeast corner of Kirin province and hemmed in on one side by Korea and on the other by Russia is a flagrant breach of China's sovereignty. According to Japanese military reports Russian Communists from the Ussuri district, some coming southwards by the land route and others by way of Possiet Bay, have linked up with Korean revolutionaries and Chinese Hunghutze and are causing terror among the residents of Hung-chun and the district. The Chinese troops, it is alleged by the Japanese, can do nothing. For this reason the Japanese are considerably increasing their garrison along the Korean-Russian border, parts of the 11th division which has recently arrived at Vladivostok from Japan, being used for this purpose. Now it is quite possible that Russian communists have gone to these parts and that they are joining up with Hunghutze and revolutionists in this out of the way district, but the case is no worse than it is in other parts of the Russo-Chinese borderland and it is evident that the numerous recent Japanese telegrams on the subject have been purposely manufactured in order to stir up diplomatic complications at a time when Russia herself can say nothing. For many years past Japan has wanted the Chientao district, which is extremely fertile and to which Koreans in numbers have immigrated on account of its natural riches. Hungchun at the northern end of this district, is an important point. geographically and strategically for the Japanese, but unfortunately for them it is in Chinese territory.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.