London, May 2.
The China Association's annual report, prepared for the general meeting, Is of exceptions! interest this year, owing to the secretary's, Gir. EM, Gull) recent travels in the Far East. The report is thus a Jsuccinet account of events in 1939, welch is Interesting to read and will be very useful for reference.
Beginning with Sino-Japanese reations, the report descilbes events leading to, and the formation of, the JHopel-Chahar Political Council "and that troublesome area, the autonomous East Hopel. Herein, as expounded to the writer by several leading JJapanese, is "the expression of a new Jdoctrine,' namely that North China jis essential to. Manchoukuo"—stratetically and politically through fear of Russia; economically, to make good in raw materials and new markets the disappointment hitherto experienced fu. Manchoukuo.
in the early part of the year, when Japan's Minister in Ctina was made an Ambassador, Sino-Japanese re lations seemed' to be improving. Then, however, came the anti-Japanese agitations in' North China, the [Japanese demand for the removal of the Chairman of the Hopel Council and suppression of tke Kuomintang, the schemes for a North China development syndicate led by the South Manchuria Railway, and Ma}. JGen. Tada's slatement to Japanese journalists at Tientsin _expressing [strong mistrust of "Gen. Chiang Kal-shake and his clique" and Japan's need of a corner in North China in which to "create " paradise for ce-existence and mutual prosperity."
The demand for the autonomy of Shantung, Shansi, Hopel, Suiyuan. and Chahar, and the compromise effected in Hopel and Chakar are fresh in every memory, though as Mf. Gull says "guesses at the inner} history of this change would be a waste of time." The report seems to] suggest that the attention called to Jevents by the Chinese Ambassadors London, Paris and Washingon may have had something to do with the modification of the original [Japanese demands.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.