t|j SIARXIST
ing employees on the estates, reached a total of 200.000 while
that 0f Japanese generally in Manchuria and the Kwantung pro-
vince totals about one and a half million. Only one-sixth of this-
n amber—260,000 persons in all—lived in Manchuria before the
uocupatioR.
Tiie Japanese also endeavoured to utilise the Koreans as a
weapon and support in Manchuria and took systematic measures
to resettle them at definite points. As a result, the number of
Koreans in Manchuria rose from 900,000 before the occupation
to 1,300,000 in 1945.
While building their broadly ramified system of strongpoints
for operation against the Soviet Union in the more important stra-
tegical sectors, the Japanese Generals erected very solid fortifica-
tions of a permanent * type, *A network of. such fortifications
was built, for instance, in the vicinity of the Pogranichnaya sta-
at Lake Hanka, in the lower reaches of Sungari, around
opposite Blagoveshchensk and in the Manchuria station
area.
Tilt! Japanese imperialists took energetic measures to utilise
the natural and human resources of their Manchurian base for
fin-iterance of their military aims. Power resources were greatly
developed, coal-mining expanded and exploitation of forests
undertaken. Heavy industry sprang up, iron and steel, non-fer-
rous and light metals, chemicals, including extraction of liquid
fuel from $hale and coal Aircraft and automobile factories were-
erected and metal-working plants, arsenals, small arms factories
vie, were enlarged or re-equipped.
The output of coal in Manchuria is estimated at 25,000,000
tons per annum compared with 10,000,000 tons before the occu-
pation. Tfee iron output, to judge by the available data? Is as
high a^ 3,000,000 tons—a sevenfold increase compared with the
pre-occupation years. „ . '
The Japanese converted tbe Mukden arsenal, which existed
before the occupation, into a vast agglomeration of armament
wefks employing over 50,000 workers. It produced guns, mor-
tats, machine-gimt> explosives etc. There are gun-powder facto-
ries in Antuitg* Uneyang and Fusin. In the 1940's a big expan-
sion of explosives manufacturei was undertaken in Manchuria.
Maftcharia's ligkt industries were adapted for supply of the
and »«w factories were built. They provide*! the
wi|b uniforms, food, accoutrements and footwear.-