Sino-Japanese war and the Philippines

Media

Part of Sino-Philippine Research Journal

Title
Sino-Japanese war and the Philippines
Language
English
Source
Sino-Philippine Research Journal Volume I (No. 1) September 1940
Year
1940
Rights
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
Fulltext
SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE PHILIPPINES DR. C. KUANGSON YOUNG Chinese Consul-General in the Philippin·es Much argument there may have been as to the authenticity of the now famous "Tanaka Memorial," events of the last ten years have indicated that the Japanese militarists are following the program laid down by the Baron almost to the letter. The paragraph that should interest the peoples of China and of the Philippines most follows : "In order to conquer China, we must first conquer Manchuria, and Mongolia. In order to conquer the world, we must first conquer China. If we succeed in conqueri.ng China, the rest of the Asiatic countries and the South Sea countries will fear us and surrender to us." Some 45 years ago, after the first Sino-Japanese war, Japan insisted on and obtained, among other terms, the independence of Korea. It is now history, too well known to be repeated, that Korea became, not many years after her independence, the vassal of the Japanese Empire. During the years of 1931 and 1936, Japanese Doiharas were busy erecting the puppet state of "Manchukuo." If events after 1937 were not what they are, there would have been no other subsequent course for Henry Pu-yi to follow than the one which led the ruler of Korea to doom. For almost three· years now, a Japanese army of some 1,500,000 men are waging "an incident'; of conquest in China. According to the Japanese Minister of Finance, the military expenditures in connection with the campaigns in China, including the present budget estimates, have been 16,445,000,000 yen. Roughly speaking, this sum is ninety times the latest budget of the Commonwealth Government. In the twelve provinces of China that have become war zones since the summer of 1937, Chinese administrative machinery has been operative in 97 ro of the countries. In 1937, from July to December inclusive, the total distance of Japanese advance was 2220 kilometers, averaging 12 kilometers per day. In 1938, the average came down to 6 kilometers per day. From January to November of 1939, the daily average was only one kilometer. Chinese casualties both military and civilian, have been appalling. But Japan's confined to military only-has not been much less. 8 SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE PHILIPPINES According to statistics compiled by authoritative agencies as circulated by the R_euters news agency from Chungking on the 10th of February, 1940, total casualties of the Japanese sea, land and air forces have amounted to date to 1,400,000. In a speech at the Town Hall, New York, on December 5th, 1939, Chinese Ambassador Dr. Hu Shih stated: "It is estimated by conservative neutral observers that, on the various fronts taken together, Japan has been and is losing at least from 800 to 1,000 men every day, without any major frontal battles. That is about 300,000 to 360,000 men in a year!". In comparing casualty lists of China and Japan, one must not lose sight of the fact that Japan's population is 70,000,000 while China's, 450,000,000. The Tanaka theory was that the conquest of China would bring about the surrender of the lesser countries in Asia. Therefore, China is bearing the brunt of Japan's onslaught for hegemony over Asia. Is it not logical to expect, then, that countries, within the Japanese danger zone, should be particularly concerned over China's successful resistance? On January 30th of this year, General Kuniaki Koiso, Minister of Overseas Affairs of the Tokyo Government, declared that Japan's economic expansion to the South has become "more important than ever" as a result of rapid changes in the international situation following the· outbreak of the European War. He further stated that expansion to the South "would contribute to industrial development of that region and insure this country's resources of important materials which are urgently need here". What are the resources that are urgently needed by Japan? Gold? Oil? Iron? Speaking of iron, a recent issue of the Phililippine Magazine published an article by Mr. Rizal F. Gatica who stated that at the present moment there are only four iron mines in the Philippines in extensive production. Two are located in Camarines Norte, the third in Marinduque and the last one in Samar. From 1934 to the end of September, 1939, the Philippine Iron Mines, Inc., having taken over a group of iron claims in Larap Peninsula and Calambayufigan Island, Camarines Norte, has produced and shipped to Japan a total of 2,825,732. The ore reserved of this mine is now estimated at 5,000,000 tons. During 1939, the company was scheduled to supply its Japanese buyer with 770,000 tons. Another producer of iron ore today in the Philippines is the Samar Mining Company. The monthly output is stated to be P90,000 and shipment of ore to Japan has started since February, 1938. The Gold Star Mining Company is exploiting the deposits in Marinduque. AccordSINO-JAPANESJlj WAR AND THE PHILIPPINES 9 ing to the operators, 5,ff00,000 tons of ore are in sight. The monthly output of this company is about P30,000. Shipments to Japan began during the latter part of 1938. Recently a new iron mine, owned by the Agusan Gold Mines, Inc., and operated by the Insular Mine Operators, Inc. which is a Japanese managed corporation, has recently been opened in the municipality of Paracale, Camarines Norte. The monthly output now is around 'P87,000. The above information covers the principal existing enterprises and deposits. Their presence in the Philippines brings to the country a sizeable income. Will they in the future bring worry? So much for economic expansion southward. On January 12th, this year, the Associated Press reported from Tokyo that Japanese naval officials admitted privately that they counted on virtually a free hand in the West Pacific if the Philippines become independent. It seems that the Japanese navy has already had a pretty free hand during the last two years, third-power protest notwithstanding. Hainan and the Spratley Islands have been occupied during the early part of 1939. Comment on their occupation, the editor of the Manila Bulletin had the following to say: "When Japan seized "Hainan,'' the act could not be explained on the basis of a necessity in the war against Chi11J(J,. When they take over "Spratley Islands" they are getting still further away from their war-but incidentally closer to the "Philippines" and more cerc.trally positioned in the vast area which they declare as thei,r sphere of influence and control. Another base is theirs by seizure. "By no stretch of the imagination ca.n the Spratley Islands, dots in the China sea between the Philippines and French Indo-China, be related to the conquest of China, but they might be related to the control of "insular Asia,'' might be a factor in the 'new order of East Asia'. The taking of these dots in the sea, small and insig.nri,ficant commercially as the·y are, complicates affairs from the international point of view. It amounts to a new affront to the French and increasing threat against the Philippines". The Spratley Islands, the Hainan Island, Formosa and the Japanese Mandated Islands form an arc the proximity of which to the countries in the South Seas constitutes a potential threat in the mind of all thinking people . .. On February 15th, the United Press reported from Tokyo that replying to an interprellation, Japanese Foreign Minister Arita declared that the "new order in East Asia" means a new order in "Japan, Manchukuo and China primary''. When pressed for further elucidation, Arita continued: 10 SINO-JAPANES~ WAR AND THE PHILIPPINES "JAPAN, CHINA AND MANCHUKUO "FIRST". "We ca.nnot obtain sufficiently in raw material among just Japan, "Manchukuo" and China. In the "Southern countries" they have rubber, oil, tin and all other resources still undeveloped." Can verbal assurances, contrary to the above, or even non-aggression pacts and neutrality agreements change the situation? On February 10th, Japanese Foreign Minister Hachiro Arita declared that Japan is willing to conclude a non-aggression pact with the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, or India provided these countries show an interest therein. On February 14th, Arita told the House Budget Committee that Japan is willing to confer with the United States and the Phi'lippines with a view to signing a pact guaranteein·g the Philippines as a neutral zone. Aside from the fact that at the present moment neither the Philippines nor the Dutch East Indies nor India is in a position to conclude a nonaggression pact with any nation, the question to be asked is whether a new piece of paper will be a better instrument to check the military adventurers than the old ones on which have written the Kellog-Brirund Anti-War Pact and the Nine-Power Treaty. For those who have forgotten the provisions of the Nine-Power Treaty, may I, as a conclusion, quote its first Article? "The con·tracting Powers, [United States of America, Belgium, The British Empire, China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal], other than China, agree: (1) To respect the sovereignty, the independence, and the territorial and administrative integrity of China; (2) To provide the fullest a:nd most unembarrassed opportunity to China to develop and maintain for herself an effective and stable government; (3) To use their influence for the purpose of effectually establi.shing and maintaining the principle of equal opportunity for the commerce and industry of all nations throughout the territory of Chi,na; (4) To refrain from taking advantage of conditions is China in order to seek special rights or privileges which would abridge tke rights of subjects or citizens of friendly States, and from countenancing action inimical to the secu~'ity of such States".