Islands

For generations hardy Chinese fishermen have nosed their little junks into the treacherous South China Sea, headed for the small group of uninhabited coral atolls known as the Paracel Islands. On these reefs, located 300 miles south of the China coast and 250 miles east of French Indo-China (see map, p. 15), they flip over big. basking turtles, collect birds' nests to be shipped to the mainland where they are made into China's famed soups.

Last week the French Foreign Office suddenly disclosed that a squad of Indo-China's Annamite police, commanded by French officers, had sailed across and occupied the islands for France. Ever since 1886, when France established a protectorate over the Indo-China Kingdom of Annam, France has claimed the Paracels because they formerly came under the sovereignty of Annam. Until last week, however, she made no move to occupy them.

Behind France's action last week lay persistent rumors buzzing in the Far East for the past month that Japan had eyes on the islands, planned to establish there a seaplane base to be used in a campaign against South China. So far no Japanese warships have been seen in the vicinity, but Japanese fishermen and workers have been shipped to the reefs in increasing numbers.

The disclosure followed a week after an announcement in the British House of Commons that France and Britain had sent a joint warning to Tokyo to keep hands off the big Chinese island of Hainan, 150 miles northeast of the Paracels and hard off the coast of China. Japanese occupation of either Hainan or the Paracels would place Japan within easy attacking distance of Indo-China, more important, would place her astride Britain's vital sea route between her strongly fortified colonies of Hong Kong and Singapore.

China's Ambassador in Paris, Dr. V. K. Wellington Koo last week carried to the Quai d'Orsay a mild reminder that China considered the Paracels part of her territory but added, meaningly, that China did not object to French occupation "for the time being." In Tokyo, smarting Foreign Office officials notified French Ambassador Charles Arsene Henry that "stationing of Annamite troops on the Paracels might lead to misunderstandings between them and Japanese workers on the islands," asked that the troops be withdrawn. The French Ambassador blandly assured them that "the interests of the workers would be fully respected."

Now that Japan has her hands full in China France, concerned for the safety of Indo-China, is evidently changing her original policy of trying to protect her eastern empire by currying favor with the Japanese. Consequently, in frequent brushes in Japanese-occupied Peking and Shanghai, the French have stood up to the Japanese much more firmly than the representatives of the U. S. and Britain. Fortnight ago the French again pulled Japan's nose. Last February an agreement was reached tending to facilitate payment of French commercial credits owed by Japan. Recently French creditors informed the French Foreign Office that Japan had failed to keep the bargain. In retaliation, France suspended for six months import quotas on porcelain and canned salmon from Japan.

Meanwhile large-eared, sharp-featured President Manuel L. Quezon of the Philippine Commonwealth journeyed to Tokyo on a "recreational" visit. His recreation included serious talks with Japanese Foreign Minister General Kazushige Ugaki, a dinner attended by Premier Prince Fumimaro Konoye. This led correspondents to cable that the Philippine President was angling for assurances from these high Japanese officials that Japan had no designs on the islands when the Philippines obtain their independence from the U. S. in November 1945, as now scheduled. The U. S. Philippine Ordinance expressly forbids the Filipinos any direct participation in foreign affairs until 1945 and, as he left Tokyo for Manila late last week. President Quezon vehemently denied that he had been engaged in any "security" mission. Nevertheless, the Japanese Foreign Office frankly admitted that Foreign Minister Ugaki, who is highly touted as his country's next Premier, had assured the Philippine executive that the still unborn nation "need have no fear of Japan."

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