Directory_and_Chronicle_1937 — Page 472

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MANCHURIAN TRADE CENTRES

a

In addition to Mukden, the Treaties made with China in 1903 by tlie United States and Japan secured the opening of Antung and Tatungkow in Manchuria. By an additional agreement made between China and Japan in December, 1905, the following inland places in Manchuria were opened to trade on the dates specified-September 10th, 1906, Tiel-ling, Tung-chiang-tzu and Fakumen; on October 8th, Hsin-min Fu; on December 17th, Manchuli, Harbin, Ch'ang-ch'un (K'uan-ch'êng-tzu) and Kirin, on December 19th, Tsitsilar (Pu-k'uei), the capital of the northern province of Hei-lung- chiang; and on June 28th, 1907, the remaining seven places-Fêng-huang-ch'êng (T'ing) Liao-yang, Ninguta, Hun-ch'un, Sansing, Hailar and Aigun-were declared open as a preliminary step prior to the adoption of special settlement regulations. Only at Mukden, Harbin and Newchwang are Foreign Consulates, other than Japanese, established.

On March 9, 1932, a new "State of Manchukuo" was established at Hsinking (formerly Changchun), the new Capital, as an independent Republic, under the rulership of P'u I, the ex-Emperor of China, dethroned by the Chinese Revolution. of 1911, and the latter was enthroned as the Emperor Kang-tê on March 1, 1934.

However, so far only Japan and San Salvador have, yet accorded' recognition to the new State of Manchukuo..

MUKDEN

Feng-t‘ien

(Mukden is the Manchu name)

(JAPANESE: HŌTEN)

Mukden, is the capital of the province of Fêng-t'ien (F). It was the ancient seat of the last dynasty of China. Though nominally opened to international residence and trade by the Commercial Treaties concluded by the United Statesand Japan with China in 1903, it was not really opened until 1906, for in the Russo-Japanese war the city became one of the strongholds of the Russian forces, from which, however, they were eventually driven by the advancing Japanese army after one of the most decisive battles of those times. When peace was concluded and the troops were withdrawn the trade possibilities of the province began to receive increased attention. The principal trade of Mukden has been in grain, such as beans and millet; there is, also, a considerable trade in skins, furs and bristles. The chief imports are Japanese and European textiles, hardware, cigarettes, sugar and kerosene oil. The British Cigarette Co. and the Toa Tobacco Co. have opened cigarette factories in the International Settlement, and there is a successful cotton-mill, with a capital of $2,500,000, subscribed partly from official funds and partly by private individuals. Minerals and metals are mined and smelted in the neighbourhood of Mukden. Rice-farming, also, is on thein crease, there being some 10,000 acres under cultivation in the Mukden and Sinmin districts. The require- ments of the local cotton mill have given an impetus to the growing of cotton in the Liaoyang and Chinhsien districts.