Oct. 13.
Brief reference is made by the Harbin correspondent of this journal in his despatch, which is published in this issue to some of the changes which may be expected to occur in that city as a result of the sale of the Chinese Eastern Railway to Manchoukuo. When the subject is considered in its wider aspects it is apparent that within the next few years an. almost complete metamorphosis, may be expected to come over the city, and the reasons are riot difficult to find. The engineers of the Chinese Eastern Railway when they were first laying the line made it a practice to bring it within a certain distance of the major towns, so that in the'course of time what are now practically new cities would have to be form~ ed. Thus the railway was brought close to Fuchiatien on the Sun-gan, and in the space of a very short while the area between the Chinese city and the railway came to be built over, thus forming the modern city known as Harbin. The Pristan area was naturally built up first, and in recent years there has been an extensive prograrome carried out on the other side of the railway, all of which twas largely Russian in character, architecturally and from the point fof view of population. It was a [natural result of the coming of the railway, and the establishment of its headquarters in that city. The main portion of the personnel of the railway was centred in Harbin, many of its subsidiary undertakings were situated there, and a number of Russian industrial concerns were developed all of which found their support In the railway. With the coming of the revolution in Russia a large number of White [Russians took refuge in. Manchu gaining directly or indirectly up to 1924 their living from the 2ine.
With the passage of control of the undertaking from White Rus sians to the Soviets a change came lover the scene, Large numbers of White Russians were dismissed, land their positions taken by Soviet officials who were especially Jsent out from Russia. The result ]was that the Russian population of Harbin was swelled by the new~ comers who were deriving a good living from the railway, while former employees eked out a precarious living as best they could lor sought fresh fields and pastures new in other cities of China.
[Since 1931 there has been a steady influx of Japanese into the ity, and it may reasonably be expected that, when the Chinese Eastern Railway finally changes Mnands in accordance with the present agreement, the Soviet staff of the railway will be thrown lout of employment, and most of them, if not all, will return to Russia. It is clear that the con-trot and management of the railway will be in Japanese hands Jwho will naturally replace the Soviet officials with the result that the already rapidly growing Japanese population of the ci twill be still more increased. Already the signs of Japanese eco-Jnomic penetration have become very apparent, and there is every prospect of Harbin changing its complexion from that of a Russian city to one in which Japanese in-nonce may easily become predominent. Tt is also to be expected that in the course of a few years the industrial undertakings which fare at present controlled by Russians will, under the competition which may be expected from the JJapanese, gradually pass into Jap~ fanese hands,; and though this will not necessarily mean the total eli= mination of the Russian influence.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.