NORTH CHINA TODAY
BOARD OF INFORMATION
I
IN any attempt at understanding new China the importance of North China, as an essential factor makes itself apparent. Particularly is this so from the Japanese point of view, since it is vitally related to Japan, both geographically and politically. The following description of the growth of national life in new China, in all its various aspects, is therefore given from the standpoint of its relationship with North China.
Governmental Activities
When a nation is in the process of a radical and gigantic reconstruction such as we are witnessing today, governmental activities naturally play an important part in shaping its life. In North China such activities come under the direction of the Political Council of North China, a special organ which, since the establishment of the new National Government at Nanking in March, 1940, has taken the place of the Provisional Government at Peking.
A glance at the past history of this part of China will be sufficient to explain the reason why it should be accorded the special status of an autonomous area under the new Council. Under the old Nationalist Government, even after the centralization of all governmental powers by Chiang Kai-shek, this area had remained outside the direct control of the Nanking Government, enjoying an autonomous rule as in the case of the Hopei-Chahar Political Council, not to mention the East Hopei Autonomous Régime. Since this area has been most intimately related with Japan politically and economically, it has always been imperative for the Government to shape its policies with this peculiarity in view. Under the present international conditions, moreover, no measure for national defence can be perfect unless it is worked out on the basis of this relationship. Such being the case, it is not surprising that Mr. Wang Yi-tang who succeeded Mr. Wang Keh-min as Chairman of the Council in June, 1940, visited
Japan last autumn in order further to promote friendly relations and collaboration between the two neighbouring countries.
The Council's good-neighbour policy bore other important fruit in November last year, when the North China-Mengchiang Economic Agreement was concluded, thereby enabling North China to import her much needed cereals. The settlement of the silver and Federal Bank note issues in connection with the British Concession in Tientsin have also greatly facilitated the financial and economic activities of the Council.
The Council's main efforts, however, are directed at the establishment of peace and order and the stabilization of living conditions of the people. With this aim in view, such measures as the restoration of the Hsien system, the improvement of the police administration, the perfection of the judicial system and the cleaning up of bandits and remnants of the Chungking and Communist troops have been successfully carried out. The importation of wheat from Mengchiang under the Economic Agreement with that Government1, together with the adoption of effective measures for unemployment relief both in urban and rural districts have also contributed greatly toward safeguarding the life of the people. The reopening of higher educational institutions, including the University of Peking, which has been reorganized with five colleges—Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture, Literature and Science—amalgamating four universities of Peking, Peiping, Ch'inghua and Chiaot'ung, is further evidence of progress along these lines. It is interesting to note in this connection that Prof. Chou Tso-jen, a noted man of letters in China, has taken the place of Mr. T'ang Erh-ho as Director of the Board of Education.
Development of Mineral Resources
In estimating the progress of any modern nation a basic factor is the development of mineral resources without which it cannot feed the ever growing essential industries. That North China has an almost inexhaustible wealth of coal and iron deposits, the most essential minerals for heavy industry, is widely known. The North China Development Company, which has been established with the special purpose of developing those resources, has embarked on
[Photograph plate, headed "In North China": Right: In the playground of the National Girls' Normal School of Peking (girls playing volleyball)]
[Photograph: Left: At Peking University where women study side by side with men]
[Photograph: Left: Sheep grazing in the suburbs of Paoting]
[Photograph: Right: Operation in full swing at the Taiyuan Iron Works]
energetic and efficient activities.
A wealth of mineral resources, however, does not in itself contribute toward the construction of a new China and a new East Asia. Communications, transportation and labour are all essential to the successful exploitation of these resources; lacking in these facilities they cannot be turned to good account. From this point of view, the resources in Hopeh and Shantung are the most ideally situated while those in Shansi have yet to await the future development of transportation facilities. Nonetheless, the importance of the coal deposits in Shansi Province for the future of East Asia remains undisputed. According to investigations conducted by experts of various countries, they amount to more than 100,000,000,000 metric tons, their quality being anthracite and bituminous. This colossal potential wealth of coal, together with some 3,000,000 metric tons of iron deposits available in nearby districts, constitutes a significant advantage to the iron industry, particularly in the refining of pig-iron into steel. The Taiyüan and Yangchüan Iron Works in Shansi and the Shihkingshan Iron Works near Peking all enjoy similar favourable conditions. The coal mines in Shantung and Honan Provinces, on the other hand, are fortunate in commanding good transportation and other facilities. Thus the Shantung Mining Company, Kailan Coal Mine and the newly established Tsingsing Coal Mine have been able to meet the immediate needs of the Chinese industry. Noteworthy also is the fact that these mines produce caking coal which is indispensable for the production of iron, since to produce one ton of pig iron the same amount of coke is required. The importance of the Tsingsing Mine in supplying not only coke to iron works in the neighbouring districts but also fuel coal to cities in North China and even to Japan can be appreciated by studying the map. It is situated on the railway line connecting Taiyüan with Shihkiachwang, which is a junction between that line and the Peking-Hankow Railway. Furthermore, the newly opened Shihkiachwang-Tehchow line has greatly facilitated transportation between the mine and Tsingtao. Other coal mines of importance to Japan are the Chunghsing Mine in Yihsien, northeast of Hsüchou, situated on a branch line connecting the Tientsin-Pukow and Lung-Hai Railways, and the mines of the Shantung Mining Company to be found along the Tsingtao-Tsinan Railway. With transportation facilities available, they were soon
reconstructed after the cessation of hostilities and by 1940 their plants had reached full working capacity.
Industry
In the present phase of industrial development the electrical industry is of fundamental importance. In North China this basic industry is in the hands of the North China Electric Company in Peking, the Kiaoao Electric Company in Tsingtao, the Tsinlu Electric Company in Tsinan and the Chefoo Electric Company in Chefoo, all of which are subsidiary concerns of the North China Development Company. Of these enterprises the most important is the first named concern, which is capitalized at 100,000,000 yen. This enterprise, started in February, 1940, includes, in addition to the generation and supply of electricity to the Peking, Tientsin and East Hopeh districts, a large-scale generation, transmission and supply of electric power for industrial purposes. The electric-light enterprises in Shansi, Hopei and Honan Provinces, which were formerly managed by the Hsingchung Company, have also come under its control. For the purpose of increasing and strengthening power, generating plants are to be constructed in Kweiteh, Yücheng and Yangchüan during the current business year. With a view to economizing equipment and materials and to rationalize enterprise, connections for transmission have been readjusted and perfected, and the unification of voltage and frequency carried out throughout North China. The most important step toward the radical improvement of electrical undertaking in this part of China has been the plan for hydraulic generation utilizing the water power of the Lwan River, a basic investigation of which is now under way. Thus the weakness of North China in this field of industry, which shows a great preponderance of thermal generation plants, will be overcome by the introduction of a powerful hydraulic generating system.
With regard to the iron industry mention has already been made of the deposits of iron ores. The Taiyüan Iron Works, which were originally established by Yen Hsi-shan, have been enlarged to substantially increase its output and in the near future will handle the refining of pig iron into steel. Plans are also under way for the expansion of the other two iron works, the Shihkingshan and Yangchüan Works.
Another major industry of North China is the production of salt. For the purpose of supplying Japan, Manchoukuo and China with salt for food and industrial purposes, the demand for which has greatly increased owing to the European War having brought a stoppage of importation of pelagic salt, a plan for increased production in this region has been successfully carried out.
The two noted districts in North China for the production of salt are the Changlu salt fields along Pohai Bay, and the Shangtung salt fields, bordering the Yellow Sea, with Kiaochow Bay as their centre. The former are now in course of development by the North China Salt Works, while those at Shantung are managed by the Shantung Salt Works.
The North China Salt Works, aiming at an economic regeneration for the local Chinese, has first of all set about rehabilitating the salt fields of Hanku, Sinho, Tanku and Tenku totalling approximately 38 square miles, at the same time, carrying out a plan for the developing of new fields in Taku (19 square miles) and Tatsingho (23 square miles).
The fields under the management, directly and indirectly, of the Shantung Salt Works are those owned by Chinese and the Yungyu field, which together total some 19 square miles. Here again the two objectives of an economic regeneration for the Chinese population and the development of new fields are not lost sight of.
Agriculture
The task of rehabilitating the agricultural population in this part of the Continent, who have suffered from severe droughts and unprecedented floods following fast on the heels of war, was by no means an easy one, but by dint of energetic endeavours on the part of both the Chinese and Japanese authorities, the difficulties have been overcome, and the farmers are able to anticipate rich harvests from the vast plain of North China. It may be an exaggeration to say that every necessary measure has been taken for an economic improvement of the Chinese farm population, whose living standard based upon primitive methods of agriculture has been extremely low. Nevertheless, it can safely be said that a comprehensive plan for an increased production of wheat, cotton and wool on the basis of exhaustive investigations has been satisfactorily worked out.
In this part of China the necessary foodstuffs are wheat for the upper classes in cities and towns along the railways and millet, kaoliang and maize for the farm population and the lower classes generally. North China is essentially an agricultural region, and it seems strange that there should be any shortage of food stuffs. The reason is that technical inefficiency coupled with natural calamities and wars have greatly lowered the productivity of the soil. The shortage of foodstuffs has accordingly to be met by importation from Australia, Canada, Japan and Central China. New plans aimed at self-sufficiency in foodstuffs have been formulated and in addition steps have been taken for an increased production of rice for the benefit of the Japanese population.
With regard to cotton, North China was producing 5,000,000 piculs in the pre-China Affair years, but owing to the quality it was not being imported to Japan in any appreciable quantity. Now that her economic position, particularly trade relations, have undergone a drastic change, it is necessary for Japan to obtain supplies of cotton from North China. This new state of affairs has called for a plan to bring the cotton output up to 10,000,000 piculs, as well as to cultivate improved strains.
But how are these measures for an increase in agricultural products being carried out? The major agencies promoting increased production are the North China Agricultural Experimental Station, the North China Cotton Improvement Association and cooperative societies. These agencies employ more or less the same methods as do similar institutions in other countries. The cooperative societies are mostly promoted by the Hsin-min-hui and have as supervisory organs the Hsien Federations and the Central Federation for North China. Not only do they function as pure socio-economic institutions but also as organisations for the guidance of productive technique. The Cotton Improvement Association also has the cooperative societies under its auspices.
The movement for the protection of railway promoted by the North China Transportation Company is contributing considerably toward increased production in cooperation with the Cotton Improvement Association. It was this movement that was responsible for the drilling of some 3,000 wells last year and is now planning to drill 16,000 this year, for the irrigation of cotton as well as wheat, millet, maize and other crops. Land planning and conservancy
work are other essential factors in the promotion of the agricultural industry in North China. For the former purpose the North China Reclamation Company was established. Methods of land conservancy, having far-reaching effects upon the economic and industrial life of the community, calls for superior technique, and an enormous amount of labour, expense and time. The plans, however, have been partially carried out with success.
Mention must be also made of the activities of the North China Wool Improvement Association, which came into being last November with the object of improving the quality of wool and increasing the output. The Hsishan stock farm near Wanshushan in Peking was established to specialize in the rearing of sheep and goats with supervisory stations in Shantung and East Hopei, all of which work for East Asia's self-sufficiency in wool.
1 The Government of Inner Mongolia established in 1937.