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former arranged in my honour a dinner party to which the Japanese vice-en-:] Mr. Marconi and several other Chinese officials were invited.
The dinner was served in foreign style, this being the first time, I understand, that this had been done at any dinner by Chinese officials in Hunchun.
At Hunchun I was again recommended not to attempt the journey to Ninguta at this time of year, and as from what I had learned during my trip it did not seem that any especially useful purpose would be served by attempting it, I had finally decided to return the way I had come, i.e., viâ Kami Sampo.
"There are," however, several other possible routes from Hunchun, from which place one can travel wither to the small port of Yuki on the Korean coast (a distance of about 45 miles, which can be accomplished in a day and a-half) or to Novo Kievsk and Possiet Bay, whence there is boat connection with Vladivostok,
The boat service from Yuki, however, is most irregular, and it did not seem desirable to attempt the Vladivostok route owing to the unsettled state of affairs there, so that it seemed best to choose the Kami Sampo route. I accordingly left Hunchun on the morning of the 30th, proceeding that day as far as Keigen, a small town about 5 miles from thei Tumen on the Korean side. From Keigen it is a day's journey (about 30 miles) to Kami Sampo, which I reached on my return trip on the evening of the 31st.
The journey from Kami Sampo to Seishin occupied the whole of the follow day, and there being no boat for Gensan on the 2nd. I was obliged to stay in deishin for a day. I left, however, on the morning of the 3rd, and arrived in Seoul on the evening of the 4th. At Seoul I stayed one day, arriving at Mukden, as you are aware, on the evening of the 6th, having completed the journey in rather less than four weeks.
I venture to suggest that should occasion arise in future to send an officer to the Chientao district, it would in many ways be better for him to visit Hunchun first.
From here there is a direct road to Yenchi, from which place it is easy to visit different points in the district proper, and from whence there is a choice of a variety of routes for the journey, e.g., viâ Ninguta or Kirin. The former journey would probably occupy at least a week, while a further day would be required for: the trip from Ninguta to the railway. The latter would probably take ten days or a fortnight.
I may add that while at Hunchun I also received a visit from the two liaison officers stationed at the place, Captains Komiyama and Ota. The former, who appeared to be the senior, was in mufti, while Captain Ota appeared in Chinese costume (but with military boots). Captain Komiyama asked me point-blank what, my business in Chientao was, but I did not enlighten him beyond saying that I had been enquiring into the allegations made from time to time against the missionaries in the district. He was quite pleasant and affable, though Captain Ota, on the other hand, adopted a somewhat surly attitude throughout their visit and hardly spoke a word. Later I returned the two officers' call.
It may also be worth while to mention the fact that both at Keigen and at Seishin, at which places I stayed during my return journey through Korea, I was visited at the inns at which I stopped by Japanese gendarmes. In fact, at Keigen two came to see me separately, one in uniform and the other in mufti. Both, on being asked what they wanted, replied that they had merely come to call upon me, but they : were obviously anxious to find out, if possible, where I had come from and what my business was, though it is probable that they knew perfectly well that I had been in the Chientao district. I had, however, in both places given my name, &c., to the innkeeper on arrival, and the fact that these gendarmes came to call upon me seems to be an excellent instance of the suspicion with which all foreigners travelling in, Korea seem to be regarded. At Gensan, too, I was immediately upon landing approached by an individual, obviously a Korean, in plain clothes, who coolly demanded my card. I asked him why I should give him one, and upon receiving the reply that he was connected with the police and obtaining from him a card stating this fact, I complied with his request. But it seems to me that by allowing subordinate officials to act in this way, the Japanese authorities in Korea are only asking for trouble," as it is almost impossible not to resent being pestered in this manner wherever one goes, while such incidents in the case of people unable to speak Japanese are liable to lead to unpleasant complications. Mr. Kawanami, the Japanese vice-consul at Yenchi, happened to be travelling with me from Seishin on his way to Tokyo on business, and I took the opportunity of telling him privately that I thought the Japanese made a great mistake in countenancing this sort of thing. He explained that the authorities were just at present very much afraid of
Bolsheviks, and that they had to keep a strict watch on foreigners arriving from the direction of Siberia, but I venture to think that this is not sufficient excuse for the annoying methods by which they seek to find out who people are and what their business is. At Antung, both on passing through on my way to Seoul and on my return, I was asked by gendarmes in plain clothes to present my card, while on the Korean side the police on the train as usual asked to see my passport, The Chinese boy, who accompanied me, also tells me that at Seishin be was visited at midnight by three Japanese in plain clothes, who questioned him closely as to what I had been doing in Chientao, whether I had a camera with me, &c. The police also tried to make him open my baggage, which I had left in his charge on the hoat upon arrival at Gensan, but he finally succeeded in obtaining permission to land with it upon explaining that it belonged to me and that I had the keys.
He tells me, however, that the police felt him all over before allowing him to leave the boat.
A rough sketch map of the Chientao district is appended to this report.
I have, &c.
W. B. CUNNINGHAM,
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