FO371-23515 — Page 281

Page 281

#

43 26.

(2) Anglophobia.

67. The local press is uniformly unsympathetic and un-

friendly to Great Britain. Her diplomats are past masters in

Machiavelian tactics and the British Ambassador in china is the

arch-schemer. Too cunning to burn her own fingers, Great

Britain uses Chiang Kai-shek as her catspaw and leaves no stone

unturned to foil Japan's efforts to stabilise the Par Bast.

There are occasional outbursts against the United states and

France but, whenever the press can fină time from its attacks

on the U.S.S.R., Great Britain is the main target.

68. One would think that no intelligent reader could swal-

low this stuff but there are indications that a good deal of it

is assimilated. I have good reason to believe that what are

known as the young Japanese, say up to the age of 40, both

official and private, in Manchuria nurse deep resentment

against Great Britain. The less rabid regard her as having

taken the wrong turning in 1923 and hope against hope that she

will see the error of her ways but almost all consider her as

a potential enemy. One cannot help suspecting that this feel-

ing is deliberately fostered by the military.

have a saner outlook but have not the power and the courage

to swim against the current.

illiterate.

(3) Schools.

Older Japanese

of the

69. side by side with propaganda, the schooling

young has been taken in hand. The vast bulk of the people are

The south lanchuria Railway and foreign missions

have done excellent work but they could only scratch the sur-

face and such native schools as existed at the time of the new

régime were swept away. since 1932 steady progress has been

made in the provision of primary education. There are no

recent statistics but in 1934 10 of the children of school

Page 281

Page 281

Page 281