Increased to a great extent, and, though the Japanese Army and the Manchoukuo authorities did their utmost to suppress it, it has been apparent all along that their efforts have not met with all the success: that has been claimed for them. 'The men may, of course, be of Jcogmunist sympathies. If indeed they did carry the red flag and wear the alleged brassards. that would be evidence of that fact, but would not necessarily prove' that the Soviet was taking any active part in organizing the raids on the line which have already led to considerable loss of life. Such evidence goes no further than provide sufficient ground for assuming that the political beliefs of the marauders are of a red complexion, and a great deal more would be required to bring home the charge that the Soviet authorities are behind them. Indeed there is reason to think that the [Soviet would be acting against its own best interests in damaging the prospects of the railway by any such programme. It, naturally, wishes to obtain as much as it possibly can for its share in the undertaking, and while it would seem that that will not be as large jas it originally asked, it is not easily to be believed that it would Jembark upon a course of conduct likely to reduce the small amount which it is apparent will now be paid.
Arguing along those lines it is probable that such bandit activities are more beneficial to the Japanese-Manchoukuo interests than otherwise, for they justify the remarkably small, offer made for the purchase of the Russian interest in the railway. But here again it has to be admitted that there is no evidence to support any Jsuch contention. It is clear that, before whatever intentions Japan may have in this portion of Asia jean be carried out, the complete control of Manchoukuo must be an essential prerequisite. The Manchoukuo authorities have not yet succeeded in restoring law and Jorder throughout their domain, despite claims that have been made to the contrary, and there is probably more than a little truth. in the suggestion contained in a despatch from the Harbin correspondent of this journal to the effect that, though the Soviet is supposed io be behind these attacks, it is curious that Soviet citizens have hitherto suffered most from them. There may be nothing more jan a coincidence in the fact that, ice that argument has been advanced, the outrage of last week ig remarkable for the alleged fact, that no Soviet passengers were injured, and that the sufferers were almost exclusively Japanese,!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.