Rape of Jehol?

The chief city of Eastern Inner Mongolia is ancient, crumbling Jehol. To an invader Jehol is "the key to Peiping" (once Peking) with which it is connected by an old imperial highway 144 mi. long, just right for rumbling tanks and marching feet. Last week formidable units of the Japanese Army & Air Force moved upon Jehol from Mukden and the Chinese Press screeched, "Invasion!" Meanwhile at Tokyo the bespectacled Son-of-Heaven addressed a little homily on sheep-raising to the Governors of Japanese provinces. Referring to Japan's huge imports of wool from Australia, His Majesty ventured to suggest that "Japanese themselves should grow more sheep." He also spoke highly of growing apples.

Thundering over Eastern Inner Mongolia while Emperor Hirohito spoke of wool & apples, a squadron of His Majesty's bombing planes made what they called a "reconnaissance." When the bombers returned to their base they had dropped their bombs, mostly in Chaoyang, the gateway to Jehol. This bombing was most unfortunate, Japanese Press spokesmen said, but what else could bombing planes engaged upon a peaceful "reconnaissance" do when wantonly fired upon by Chinese soldiers from the ground? If they fired, the Chinese marksmen brought down no Japanese plane. But the Japanese bombs killed scores of Chinese, wrecked the ordnance factory at Chaoyang. Chinese claimed that after the Japanese airmen had dropped 30 bombs they lingered over the city, spraying it indiscriminately with their machine guns.

Provocation, which is the first move in the game of war, was provided by Japanese assertions last week that a certain Major Gonshiro Ishimoto had been captured and killed by Chinese in Jehol. To avenge their brother officer 300 Japanese troops rushed down in two armored trains from Mukden to a point near the Chaoyang Monastery. Chinese soldiers, who enormously outnumbered the Japanese force, repulsed it after sharp fighting which lasted some 24 hours. By this time it was generally admitted that Major Ishimoto was still alive and the Japanese military announced that they would hold young Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang at Peiping "personally responsible for the safety of Major Ishimoto."

In Peiping, wrathful young Chang said: "I have never before heard of this Ishimoto in my life!"

Only 87 miles from Peiping at its seaport, Tientsin, is a powerful Japanese garrison. Tersely the Japanese Commander threatened the young Marshal thus: "If there are clashes between the Japanese Army and the forces of Marshal Chang in Jehol then the Japanese garrison at Tientsin will have no other course but to attack Peiping."

Tang-in-the-Woodpile. Close observers realized that what was chiefly at stake last week was the loyalty of General Tang Yulin, the biggest boss in Eastern Inner Mongolia, who rules as Governor in Jehol.

When the Japanese set up their puppet Manchurian state called "Manchoukuo" (TIME, March 21), they claimed that General Tang brought his vast, wild territory into the new state at that time. More recently General Tang has shown a disposition to consider himself loyal to the Chinese Government represented in Peiping by young Marshal Chang.

The bombs, machine gun fire and military expedition last week were reminders to General Tang of the might of Imperial Japan. Soon Tang announced, "I have taken steps to rescue Captain Ishimoto."

If Eastern Inner Mongolia can be brought under Japanese sway by a few bombs & threats instead of by fierce fighting, so much the better for Japan. According to Chinese reports, Japanese soldiers have seized in Manchoukuo real estate, palaces and stocks of opium worth $10,000,000 belonging to General Tang. Better for Japan than realty and opium are the three main products of Eastern Inner Mongolia, about one of which Emperor Hirohito spoke last week: wool, hides, wheat. With extreme Oriental acumen Governor Tang rushed eight motor truck loads of "treasure" from Jehol into the Italian Settlement at Tientsin last week. Thus, if General Tang sides with Japan, the Japanese garrison at Tientsin will render his treasure particularly safe. If on the contrary he sides with China, the Japanese will scarcely dare to seize treasure over which flies the flag of Italy.

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