—96—
Sources of information.This narrative of the stages by which the "State of Manchukuo" was created has been compiled from all the sources of information available. The events were reported at length, as they occurred, in Japanese newspapers, and most fully, perhaps, in the columns of the Japanese-edited Manchuria Daily News. The two documents entitled "Histoire de l'Indépendance du Mandchoukouo—Ministère des Affaires étrangères du Mandchoukouo", and "A General Outline of Manchukuo—Department of Foreign Affairs, Manchukuo", which were prepared at Changchun on May 30th by the present administration, and the "Memorandum on the so-called Independence Movement in the Three Eastern Provinces", prepared by the Chinese Assessor, have also been carefully studied. In addition, wherever possible, neutral sources of information were utilised.
Civil administration since September 18th.The measures of civil administration taken by the Japanese military authorities between September 18th and the establishment of the "Manchukuo Government", notably the control of the Banks, the administration of the public utility services and the management of the railways, indicated that, from the commencement of the operations, objects more permanent than the requirements of a temporary military occupation were being pursued. Immediately after the occupation of Mukden, on September 19th, guards were placed in or in front of all Chinese banks, railway offices, the administrative offices of public utility services, the office of the Mining Administration, and similar premises. Investigations were then conducted into the financial and general situation of these enterprises. When they were allowed to re-open, Japanese were appointed as advisers, experts, or secretaries to officials, usually with administrative powers. Many business enterprises were owned by the former administration of the Three Eastern Provinces, as well as by the provincial administrations; and, as the previous Government was regarded as are enemy Governments in time of war, no bank, no mining, agricultural or industrial enterprise, no railway offices, no public utility—in fact, no single source of revenue in which they had been interested in either their public or private capacities—was left without supervision.
Railways.As regards railways, the measures taken by the Japanese authorities from the outset of the period of military occupation were designed to settle definitely, in a manner favourable to Japanese interests, some of the questions which had long been in dispute between the Chinese and Japanese railways, and which have been described in Chapter III. The following measures were promptly taken:
- 1. All the Chinese-owned railways north of the Great Wall, and the monies standing to their credit in banks in Manchuria, were seized.
- 2. In order that the railways might be co-ordinated with the South Manchuria Railway, certain changes were made in the arrangement of tracks in and around Mukden, by cutting the tracks of the Peiping-Mukden Railway at the viaduct under the South Manchuria Railway, thus closing the Liaoning Central station, the Fengtien East station, the Fengtien North Gate station, and thus severing the connection with the Chinese Government railway to Kirin (later replaced).
- 3. At Kirin, a physical connection was made between the Hailun-Kirin line and the Kirin-Tunhua and Kirin-Changchun Railways.
- 4. A staff of Japanese technical advisers was installed in various departments of the railways.
- 5. The "special rates" adopted by the Chinese authorities were abolished and the original tariffs restored, thus bringing freight rates on Chinese railways more into conformity with those of the South Manchuria Railway.
