Jewel Raided

In red-roofed Tsingtao, chief port of famed Shantung Province, China, the biggest newspaper came out one day last week describing the attempt to assassinate Emperor Hirohito of Japan as "an unfortunate failure." A mob swept out of the Japanese quarter of the city and methodically kicked the offices of the Min Kuo Daily News apart. Then they burned the local headquarters of the Kuomintang (Nationalist) Party. Thousands of Chinese gathered up their belongings and fled to the back country.

Suddenly at nightfall the windows and roof of the Japanese consulate bristled with machine guns. Japanese ships were in the harbor. "Their turrets swung toward the city. Boatloads of marines chugged ashore. For 24 hours the city was completely in Japanese hands. Then the 500 marines returned to their ships.

The rest of the world seemed too busy to pay much attention, but to thoughtful observers of Far Eastern affairs the seizure of Tsingtao was a hair-raiser. Tsingtao is not in Manchuria, has nothing to do with Manchuria. It is in China proper, a magnificent harbor, terminus of an important railroad.

By 1897, imperialistic Germany well realized that the rest of Europe had scooped her in collecting vast colonies throughout Africa and Asia. Therefore when two missionaries were providentially slain in Shantung, Germany demanded, and got, for reparation: a 99-year lease on the port of Tsingtao, and many miles of surrounding territory plus the right to build a railroad through Shantung Province. In 1914, Japan's first act as one of the Allies was to besiege Tsingtao. It was defended with extreme gallantry by the German garrison, for the Kaiser had bombastically called it "the jewel of my heart." Japan held Tsingtao through the War and after. But its attempt to stay out the 99-year lease was solemnly thwarted by the Great Powers at the Washington Conference (1921-22) and by the Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1922 when Japan solemnly swore to leave Tsingtao alone. Tsingtao remained, nevertheless, a jewel.

Observers interpreted last week's raid as a feeler. If the world grew incensed at this invasion of Chinese territory, Japan had an excuse: there was a riot, she had landed troops to suppress the riot. If the world, as it seemed to, overlooked it, Japan could try again.

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