All these elements contribute to! the development of the present complicated railway situation in Manchuria, and ax railways furnish the! most ' important factor of the economic, and tom great extent of ation in Manchuria, of these problems essential, Mr, Matsuoka makes it clear, however, that the Government is concerned mainly in the upholding of the principle that treaties and must be lived up to Once this has been set. Hed, he believes, the actual the construct of these various projected railway may be settled! relatively easily by mutual arrangements.
Manchuria is increasing her productivity so rapidly, he poi that the new, as well as the railways will have all they can do to handle the increased traffic and the much feared compe ion will be found to be entirely exaggerated. The Japanese are as eager as are Chihli hag been between 300,000 and
number were seasonal labourers who returned to their homes when the Manchurian harvest was_over. More recently, however, conditions in Shantung especially have become so intolerable that great masses of the population there are coming to]
manchuria in order to seek in the vast tracts of rich uncultivated arable regions peace and order and an opportunity to found new homes and make a living. This yern therefore, these _immi Ddringing in their famil their intention to stay, and their total this year alone will be about 800,000, at least. As a consequence, the lands along the new lines are! being rapidly settled and developed, and the activities of @ huge army of settlers who must work hard in order to live, must cause a tremend-fous increase in the produce of Mai churia, I believe that this meres fed Innd development and resultant traffic will justify the building Toast 5,000 miles of new railways} Manchuria within the next ten you will see that in the ter of the construction of new rai ways by the Chinese the question principle the predominating) feature as far as Japan is concern-led. The building.of the Kiri Hailungeheng line, for instance, in direct disregard of the Japanese ights and interests. The Chinese fare acting as if these did not exist, 'Apparently they have forgotten or choose to disregard that, after all, was Japan who preserved Mai churia for the Chinese when she not only spent her blood and treasure in driving out the Ru'sians, who} would otherwise have made' these regions a Russian territory, but, even staked her existence as a nation on the issue, Tt true that she fought Russia for her own preservation, but at the same time she was fighting Manchuria's battle. Furthermore, Japan has worked hard during-the past 20 years in Manchuria and has contributed greatly to the development and present prosperity of these provinees, The Principle At Stake "It is evident, therefore, that] Japan must feel that the Chinese bound not only by their legal obligations.
Manchuria which are clearly defined by agreements and treaties. It is the principle which is at stake, the Chinese, instead of disregarding]
rights and interests, she 1£ come to Japan with their proposal they would meet with a very reason-fable attitude and Japan's objections might even be withdrawn. On the. Jother hand, if Japan should now! suffer the Chinese to disregard her
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.