THIRD REPORT ON THE COLONIZATION OF THE CONTINENT1
BUREAU OF NORTHERN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF OVERSEAS AFFAIRS
WITH a view primarily to aiding Manchoukuo in the development of her agricultural resources, Japanese colonization of that part of the Asiatic Continent began as early as 1932, in the year when the new State was founded and while the hostilities were still going on in certain parts of the country. As peace and order had not yet been restored then, Japanese settlers in that country in the first two years were restricted only to the reservists. The 1st battalion of colonial soldiers, so to speak, consisted of 500 which included men from the Tohoku, Kanto and Hokuriku districts. The place selected for their settlement was Chiamussu in North Manchoukuo. After the planting of the 2nd battalion in the same place the following year, the eligibility to become colonists was extended to civilians. The districts from which they could be recruited were extended to Western Japan also. This was the beginning of the real agricultural settlers.
During the period of four years, ending in 1936, the settlement of nearly 1,800 households were successfully made, which experiment in no small degree encouraged the Government, and a programme for mass colonization was formulated in August, 1936, by the Hirota Cabinet. According to this programme which was put into effect in 1937, it is planned to send 1,000,000 families in 20 years.
In Manchoukuo, on the other hand, the Manchurian Colonization Corporation was set up in 1937 as an interim agency for facilitating the project, whereas in November of the same year, the Manchurian Migration Association was established for the purpose of expediting the recruitment of Japanese settlers.
The programme referred to above contemplates the migration of 100,000 families as the project for the first stage. Accordingly, 5,000 families in 18 groups were sent to the Continent in 1937. In the following two years, despite the expansion of the Sino-Japanese conflict, 5,000 families in 22 groups and 10,000 families in 40 groups
respectively were planted. In 1938, the Youth Volunteer Corps for the Colonization of Manchoukuo was organized in order to promote the plan. The immediate objective of this organization was to train Japanese youths between the ages of 16 and 19 in farming, thus moulding their character as leaders of the colonization; and accordingly 30,000 youths were recruited from the whole country. In September of the same year, an agreement was reached between Japan and Manchoukuo, providing for the strengthening of the organization and the resources of the Manchurian Colonization Corporation. On the basis of this agreement the Manchou Tochih-kungshê (the Manchurian Colonization Company), a juristic person incorporated in both Japan and Manchoukuo, which is under the supervision of the Manchurian Colonization Commission, was set up.
Thus the programme was successfully carried out, partly by means of mass colonization and partly by the youth-volunteer system. In the meantime, it was found necessary to reconsider all the existing measures and effect readjustment in the organizational setup, in keeping with the progress of the construction of the new order in East Asia as well as that of industrial development in the new State. Since January, 1939, various conferences have been held in connection with the Preparatory Commission for Establishing the Manchurian Colonization Policies and other agencies. Due to the vital importance of the question the Government established the Manchurian Colonization Council, a temporary deliberative organ, in August of the same year, participated in by competent authorities and official as well as non-official experts. Acting on the recommendation of the council, the Japanese and Manchoukuo Governments adopted on December 22, 1939, their respective basic policies concerning colonization, which was to be carried out beginning with 1940.
In the 1940-41 fiscal year, the goal has been set for the collective emigration of 16,000 families in 62 groups. The recruitment has been carried out smoothly, despite the shortage of farm labourers caused by the home front requirement for the expansion of productive capacity and for the increasing of farm products. Moreover, in the same year, a system of group emigration, whereby the sending of small groups each consisting of 50 families and totalling 3,000 families to strategic communications and industrial centres was adopted. The organization of the Manchurian Construction Service Corps, whose object is to facilitate the increased production of food and fodder and to promote the colonization activities at large, can also be mentioned as an important measure. Thus some 6,700 men have been sent to Manchoukuo to engage in farming, engineering and
other constructional activities. A steady progress has been made in the direction of perfecting colonization legislation, such as the Colonization Corps Law and the Colonization Cooperatives Law, which have been enacted in keeping with the spirit underlying the aforementioned basic policy.
In the past nine years the number of Japanese settlers colonized in Manchoukuo has reached 50,000 in 25,000 families while the youth volunteers have totalled 40,000.
Prospects of the Colonization
In the light of the past achievements, the future of the colonization of the Continent certainly looks bright. However, there still remain some problems which must be worked out before permanent success can be achieved. They are reviewed in the following:
Methods of Farming: What methods of farming are to be adopted by Japanese settlers is open to question. Some advocate the time-honoured farming method prevailing in Manchoukuo, while others favour the method obtaining in Hokkaido. Essentially, however, the farming methods in a newly developed land should be worked out in the light of natural and economic conditions. Undoubtedly a system of landed farmer, which enables a farmer to make proper use of his own labour, supported by animal power is preferable. As a matter of course by means of crop rotation, labour will be employed rationally and the productivity of soil best preserved.
In order to introduce new agricultural methods well adapted to the newly developed Continent, the Governments of Japan and Manchoukuo have undertaken to send from Hokkaido to Manchoukuo veteran farmers who are thoroughly experienced in cold-climate farming. A plan to establish experimental farms in principal settlements and training centres have been already carried out. Thus important experiments in agriculture on the Continent have been conducted under the direction of the Government agencies concerned.
Cultural Life: Among the 152 larger-group colonists already settled are included those who have achieved the pioneer stage and are devoting themselves to operating farms. Those who have established themselves economically after struggling through the initial stage of construction will step into the second period in which they will develop the culture of their own founded on the new life on the Continent.
It is true that they have provided for their own institutions and facilities to meet manifold cultural needs. For instance, each group attempted to erect its shrines and schools, besides making ample
provisions for medical and sanitary facilities. Particularly in co-operation with the Bureau of Education of the Japanese Embassy at Hsinking, they are making special efforts to institute primary education to suit local conditions. In order to settle down permanently, however, they must pay more attention to cultural matters, which are the basic factors in the enrichment of their life. Naturally the cultural needs of settlers should increase as colonization activities expand.
Transfer of Youth Volunteer Settlers: With regard to the origin, aims and nature of the Youth Volunteer Corps, these have been pertinently explained elsewhere. An important practical aspect of the problem relating to the Corps lies in their transfer to the group colonists.
The fact is that youths who emigrated during 1938, when the Volunteer Corps system was introduced, will have completed their three-year training and be ready to become full-fledged group colonists by October 1, 1941. The advance units started their construction work in February. They will be transferred as larger- and smaller-group colonists, numbering 16,900 and 300, respectively. As all of them are energetic young men, it is expected that many from time to time will be called to the colours. It has been decided, therefore, that for the period of four years after the establishment of such groups, the regular size of groups should be made up of from 150 to 180 members, instead of 300, which is the usual size. As a rule the instructors of the training institutes will be allowed to continue as group leaders. New instructors also will be provided for stock-raising. The subsidies from the Governments of Japan and Manchoukuo for the members of the Corps, excepting the item of passage fares, will be the same as in the case of group colonists, and are available for six years. Loans are also obtainable from the Manchoukuo Colonization Company.
Female Settlers: As the settlers increase in number, their matrimonial question will become an important matter. In order to cope with this situation, the Department of Overseas Affairs is carrying out various measures for its solution. Since 1939, it has attempted to train female workers who will promote the cause of Continental colonization among young women through series of lecture meetings conducted under the auspices of various prefectures. These meetings had much to do with arousing enthusiasm among young women for the Continent and, in many cases, are responsible for producing good mates for the settlers. For the 1941-42 fiscal year a plan is under way to establish a number of training institutes for women colonists on the Continent and five institutes at home. In
this connection, a worthwhile movement was recently started among primary school girls who organized the East Asia Girls Corps whose purpose is to form Youth Volunteers groups representing their villages on the Continent.
In Relation to Land Planning
In order to establish the highly organized national defence structure, which is the most urgent call of the hour in our country, the augmentation of productive capacity and the increase of agricultural output must be accelerated. Unfortunately, notwithstanding these needs, rural communities find themselves confronted with the dearth of labour.
As a matter of fact, Japanese agriculture can in no wise be regarded as well balanced and stable. Throughout the country, 5,500,000 farm households live on the total farm land covering 6,000,000 cho2, or approximately 1 cho per family. The land one family cultivates averages 9 tan3, except in Hokkaido, where the average holding is estimated at 4 cho and 8 tan. To say the least, this mathematical average is inadequate to explain actual conditions. To be more exact, as much as 48 per cent of the total area under cultivation is owned by families working on small farms of less than 5 tan each, 26 per cent consisting of farms between 5 tan and 1 cho each, and 18 per cent those between 1 cho and 3 cho. From these figures it may be inferred that in Japan the small farms far exceed others. Therefore, it would seem that the standard cultivatable area, which any farmer can manage without incurring debt, exceeds 3 cho in the northeastern part and 1 cho in the central or southwestern parts of the country, where intensive farming is being undertaken. Accordingly the average for the whole country would be approximately 2 cho, on the basis whereof the total farm land of 6,000,000 cho can rationally be distributed among 3,000,000 households. When this calculation is applied to 5,500,000 farm households constituting the Japanese farming population, 3,000,000 households would seem to be the maximum number Japanese agriculture can safely support on its farms, the remaining 2,500,000 constituting a surplus to be colonized elsewhere. It is most urgent, therefore, that they must be given land. The challenge of the hour, however, is how to provide new land for this surplus population. If the surplus farmers can be sent to Manchoukuo as settlers, then it will not only relieve farmers in Japan of the extraordinary pressure
under which they are working, but will also make positive contributions toward augmenting farm products in the new State.
On the other hand, land planning which forms a foundation of the highly organized national defence structure presupposes the establishment of the farming industry on a stable basis. It means the placing of farmers on a secure footing so that they can be engaged in their calling without fear as to their future.
Manchoukuo with its vast, fertile area of 30,000,000 cho is seeking the influx of Japanese farmers. The acquisition of the standard area of land, of which explanation has been given elsewhere, by Japanese farmers is feasible only on condition of their migration from Japan. As previously stated, the Department of Overseas Affairs had drafted a plan for sending 1,000,000 settlers to Manchokuo in 20 years. Perhaps a greater number of Japanese settlers should be sent there in order to consolidate the State structure for national defence. For this purpose, it is necessary for all rural communities in Japan to carry out a systematic village planning. In other words the populations of all farm villages in Japan should be adjusted on the basis of the standard area of land for the average family and then the surplus populations should be colonized in the new State.
The point upon which too strong emphasis cannot be placed in this connection is that the basic purpose of the colonization of the Continent should be to assist Manchoukuo in her endeavour to build up a land where the ideal of concord among all races is realized. All the plans for Japanese colonization there should therefore be studied from that point of view.
1 See, for reference, articles entitled "Emigration of Japanese Youth to the Continent" and "A Report Concerning Collective Emigration to Manchoukuo" which appeared in the June and December, 1938, issues of Tokyo Gazette, respectively.
2 Corresponds to 2.45 acres.
3 Corresponds to 0.98 rood.