Harbin, Apr. 20.
Comrade V. L. Kopp, First Soviet Ambassador to Japan,- arrived at} Harbin from Moscow by the express. on Friday and leaves to-day for his post at Tokyo. On his arrival goodly assembly were on the station platform to meet him, including the acting Japanese Consul-General and staff the Soviet Consul General and Staff, representatives from the Chinese Administratiy Teading CER. off number of prominent local Japanese During his two days' stay Comrade Kopp resided at the Soviet Consulate. This is his first trip to the Far East and the new Soviet Ambassador informed Japanese pressmen that he knew nothing about Japan except by reading. Comrade Kopp was born in 1880 and when still at Middle school (Gymnase) took part in the workmen's movement acting as a propagandist in workmen's circles. He was rested first just after he left school 1898 for having taken part in the social-democrat organization at Ekaterinoslav, but was freed before trial, going then immediately abroad where he joined the organization He returned to Russia in 2 secretly, and went to Petrograd in 1905 under another name to organize the Workingmen's Union. When the war broke out Comrade Kopp was mobilized, sent to the front} and eventually was taken prisoner, being sct free in the summer of 1918. Then he joined the Soviet Foreign Office and was appointed as councillor yo the Soviet Embassy at Berlin, and in June 1929 Soviet representative to Germany, retaining the post until May 1921. He returned to Moscow at the end of that year, and held various responsible positions in the Capital, eventually Lecoming a member of the Foreign Affairs Council until he received his present appointment, Russo-Chinese Exhibition The Soviet-Chinere Exhibition which originally was to have been opened at Harbin May 1, has been postponed for a couple of months for various reasons, and it Hill remains to be seen whether it \will be on a large scale or not. Its official name is "The United Exhibition of Mutual Exports of China and U.S.S.R,," and the ex: hibits will principally consist of goods that U.S.S.R. wishes to find a market for in the Far East and se goods suitable for export The idea is an excellent will make exporters and men of both countries familiar with the export products lof those countries. Apparently, how-the Russians who the coming Ex. already numerous, from Russia are being received in Harbin and more are coming every week, whilst about the part that Chinese merchants are to take one hears very little, except that public bodies send messages that they will give their support. A subsidy hes been asked both from the Chinese and Soviet Governments but nothing has been done though four months have passed. Meanwhile the Dalbark Centrosoyus and other Soviet institutions have already made preliminary grants.
The promotors of the Exhibition fare the committeeman of the Manchurian Research Society which was wounded by Dr. C. C, Wong when was president of the CER. His place as president <f the Society has been taken by Dr. J. Ho a former y Director and ut present at E.R. President's ancery. The Committee consists of both Rursians and Chinese, The site for the Exhibition is the M cow Square, in the New Town, most ly situated snd not far from jthe railway statice, On this square are to be built pavilions, booths ete. Jand gardens are to be made with buildings specialty for restaurants, jeafés, and side shows to make the place popular, The total area available is over 30,000 sq. yards, and already numerous apy come in for exhibition spae now for the Exhibition Committee to get peestble Chinese exhibitors more interested, Chinese merchants being asa rule very conservative their views and difficult to saturate with enthusiasm, Since the, arrest of a dozen or more Russian criminals responsible for most of the armed robberies and Kidnapping during the past few months, Harbia has recently been comparatively tree from such out rages. It seems now that Chinese robbers are having their innings but they usually confine their attentions te well-to-do Chinese, leaving Eurlopeans alone. A couple of days ago daring hold-up took place in the lo of Pristan before it was even dark, Four armed Chinese entered a Chinese Hong whilst one stood outside on guard, There were five persons on the premises at the time inding the manager, and all were ordered to put up their hands. They were duly bound and told to tie on the floor; one who tried to escape through a window received a knife wound in the stomach, and a sor who #howed some resistance was cut about the face and hands.
The firm in question handles quite 1 lot of cush remittances to Shang-Phot and elsewhere and had that very' day. received "some $35,000 from a station along the CER. has evident the robbers were after this sum, but though they broke open everything in. the place all they were able to lay their hands jon was $2,000, With this amount they left the premises, getting clean away before an alarm could be given. The money the robbers were after had been sent to a Bank immediate" ly after its receipt hence they were unable to find it.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.