FO371-23515 — Page 272

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17.

VI.

ASSIMILATION OP RACES.

43. The population of anchoukuo is supposed to be about

35,000,000 of whom roughly 1,000,000 are aliens. The bulk of ....

the native population is Chinese but there is a large longol

element of about 2,000,000 in the Hsing n Provinces in the

west. of the aliens Koreans are predominant amounting to

750,000; next come the Japanese with some 125,000 and finally

'foreigners', of whom the Russians are most numerous.

44. The term 'Chinese' was used loosely: it would be more

correct to speak of 'Chinese' and 'Manchus'. Apart, then, fræ

the 'foreigners' we have five races: Chinese, fanchus, Mongols,

Japanese and Koreans: the problem of the administration is their

assimilation. The distinction between 'Chinese' and 'Manchu'

has practically disappeared as there is no longer a linguistic

or clearly recognizable ethnic difference between the two, and

though the authorities persistently talk of *lanchus' and the

'Manchu' language, it is convenient to group them as Chinese,

leaving four races of widely differing characteristics to be

That they will ever fuse is unbelievable. The

most that could be hoped for is that they should live side by

side in amity. ven this is asking a great deal. Wild beast

trainers sometimes exhibit predatory animals caged side by side

with their natural prey and euphemistically describe the group as a happy family but no one believes that hunter and hunted have really changed their natures. Under a strong hand the four races may be trained to lay aside their differences but that they will ever become a happy family may be doubted.

assimilated.

The Chinese

They

45. The more limited objective is attainable. merchant, the chinese farmer, the Korean farmer and the wander-

ing Hongol, each asks only to be left to his own devices. are accustomed to autocratic government and, provided they are

not worked on by agitators, they display.. no interest in

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