Very considerable indignation is being expressed over the kidnapping of Mr. S. Tomaeff, superintendent of Stamp Printing of the Directorate-General of Posts, who, it is reported, was arrested in the Legation Quarter in Peiping, and is now in the custody of the Japanese, and, it 15 also reported, is being subjected to "third degree" methods in order to force him to hand over the steel engraved plates from which postage, airmail and postage due stamps are printed. Mr. Tomaeff, is a White Russian of high standing, and has been for 23 years in the Chinese Postal Service. On October 18, Japanese advisers of the Wei Chi Hui called on Mr. Tomaeff at the Stamp Printing Bureau at Paichihfang, Peiping, and with threats of personal danger should he refuse, demanded the delivery of the plates to the Japanese military authorities. Mr. Tomaeft very properly refused to do so. Had he wished to surrender them he could not have done so because they had been placed in safe custody in a foreign bank. On October 22 a written notice was served upon him demanding the surrender of the plates, and the next day he was arrested. Mr. Tomaeft's position is particularly unfortunate because being a White Russian he cannot avail himself of Russian diplomatic assistance and has neither diplomatic nor consular protection. Had he been of any other nationality it is possible that this most irregular proceeding would never have occurred, or, if it had, some assistance would have been forthcoming to see that he was adequately safeguarded from the treatment to which it is alleged he is being subjected, unnecessarily and unavailingly.
The enormity of this offence on the part of the Japanese is readily apparent when it is recognized that with the plates in their possession it would be possible to print Chinese postage stamps of all classes in huge quantities, and, by widespread circulation, do very great damage to the postal revenues of this country, and even bring about a complete, if temporary disruption of the whole service. In warfare it is the duty of any country to wreak as much damage upon the enemy as lies within its power, and the seizure of the plates in that instance might be regarded as a perfectly proper act of war. But with the Japanese government insisting that their conduct in China does not amount to a recognized state of hostility, their present action has about it a degree of criminality which may be clearly estimated when it is realized that the printing of stamps, even from the original plates, without the authority of the government of China, would amount to nothing short of forgery. The Japanese action seems to have been dictated by full comprehension of what must follow the creation of the autonomous state in the north which they undoubtedly contemplate. Such a state, without a stamp which the Postal Union recognizes, would automatically be deprived of mail privileges until the same could be negotiated. The sale of Japanese stamps in the northern territory would amount to the announcement of the assumption of Japanese sovereignty in that area, for it would in fact represent the extension of the Japanese postal service thereto. The attempted seizure of the engraved plates, therefore, is in fact an endeavour to avoid that dislocation of the postal service, so far as they are concerned, which was experienced for some time after the seizure of Manchoukuo. It is too early to believe that a similar arrangement as was then made will in this instance be arrived at, and the present state of world opinion suggests that, if the new autonomy is established, the question of even its partial recognition will not be so rapidly solved as it was in the previous case.
Throughout international hostilities, since postal services were inaugurated, their integrity has been scrupulously insisted upon within the limits of military necessity. The fact that this "China Incident" has not yet been reduced to the common denominator of war in no way changes the situation, unless it is to make the Japanese action more open to criticism. That the criticism must be severe is inevitable, and the Japanese authorities would do well to remember that their case before the world becomes all the more prejudiced as incidents such as these multiply.
The steps the Japanese should now take are apparent. They are assured that Mr. Tomaeff has not control of the plates, They are not in his possession and are deposited in a place from which the Japanese cannot obtain them without bringing about another of those unfortunate international incidents of which there have already been too many. It is very"sclearly their best policy at the moment to release Mr. Tomaeff. His behaviour has been that of a loyal servant of the State to which he has given 23 years of his life, and in his present predicament is obtaining worldwide sympathy. It is to be hoped that by some means it will be possible to make representations to the Japanese authorities which may lead to his enlargement, but the Japahese would be better advised if they realized the failure of their attempt to injure the Chinese postal service and took such action as would at least mitigate the condemnation of their action which is being expressed. They should remember that membership of the Postal Union entails responsibilities which cannot be lightly set aside, and if they continue to do so the results may be far more reaching than the Japanese military appear to understand,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.