Trouble in Manchukuo

Harbin,

The American Consul-General and the British Minister in Manchukuo were approached here by a Jewish delegation to intervene with the Manchukuo government against the alarming growth of anti-Semitism, stimulated here by Japanese officials, especially by the Japanese Chief of Secret Service, a Mr. Eguchi.

A Jewish delegation consisting of Rabbi M. Z. Ashkenazi, Hillel Epstein, editor, N. E. B. Ezra and B. Topas, representing the Jewish community of Shanghai, also approached the Japanese Minister to China, M. Ariyoshi, at the Japanese Legation in Shanghai, presenting to him the fears and grievances of the Jewish community in Harbin and stating that they are also shared by the Jewish leaders of Shanghai.

The delegation drew the attention of the Japanese Minister to the anti-Semitic campaign in which Japanese officials are participating in Manchukuo, by encouraging the anti-Semitic propaganda of a section of the White Russians in Harbin.

‘PATRIOTS’ SLEW JEWISH YOUTH

{NOTE}The delegation emphasized to the Japanese Minister that the inner story of the kidnaping and murder of Simon Kaspe, son of I. A. Kaspe, of Harbin, as revealed by police inquiries, was the signal for new outbursts on the part of Eguchi, Chief of the detective police. He gave his “personal opinion” in an amazing manner before handing his report to the procurator.{/NOTE}

This occupied sixty pages of Japanese text and thirty-two pages of Russian. His conclusion is written in chronological order, describing the crime and assessing the responsibility of every person. He concludes with his “personal opinion,” shocking as it is to decent-minded people, as head of the criminal department. The “finding” runs thus:

“Having become fully acquainted with all the circumstances of the kidnaping of Simon Kaspe, I have come to the conclusion that the accused Martinov, Shander and others showed ardent patriotism. The crime enacted by them is apparently an ordinary criminal act, but the motives for the crime are far from ordinary, being those of a political nature and dictated by the desire to struggle for their native land.

SOUGHT FUNDS BY KIDNAPING

{NOTE}”The accused are perfectly sure that those guilty for the ruin of Imperial Russia, the murder of the Emperor himself and his family, are Communists and leaders of the Communist movement Jews, and, therefore, the accused decided to have revenge for their homeland, being imbued with extreme anti-Soviet and anti-Jewish feelings.{/NOTE}

“Last year the accused plotted a considerable anti-Soviet rising on U. S. S. R. territory, and knowing that former risings had not succeeded owing to the lack of means, they decided to secure the same. However, being convinced that it was impossible to get a large sum by ordinary means, they, against their own will, decided to get money by extraordinary measures, i. e., to kidnap somebody for the purpose of ransom.

“For this purpose they selected the son of Joseph Kaspe, Simon, as in their opinion the Bolsheviks during the time of the revolution had sold valuables of the Russian Empire to Joseph Kaspe and the latter had made a huge capital out of them, working with the G. P. U., selling the valuables of the Russian crown, church plate, museum rarities and confiscated valuables belonging to private individuals.

SYMPATHY FOR WHITES’ HOPES

{NOTE}”Thus the accused considered that Joseph Kaspe had made his money in a criminal manner and decided to take his money away from him and spend it in a struggle against the Bolsheviks. They considered that such action would enable them to commence a struggle against the Bolsheviks, and also to avenge themselves on the Jews. In their opinion, acting in this manner, they would kill two birds with one stone.{/NOTE}

“However, leaving their action to the conscience of the ac-