Control And Predation Of Cotton Resources In Enoccupied Areas Of Hebei Province By Japan And Puppet During The Anti-Japanese War(1937-1945)

As a fiber crop,cotton is not only an important industrial raw material,but also an indispensable military resources in the war.Cotton textile industry is an important industrial pillar in Japan,which has a huge demand for cotton resources,but Japan’s domestic cotton production is relatively limited,far from meeting the demand for its development.Therefore,Japan had to rely on imported cotton resources.After the outbreak of the Pacific War,the United States,India and other countries cut off the supply of cotton resources to Japan,so Japan started more frenzied plundering in the occupied areas of China to make up for the shortage of cotton resources.Hebei is an important region for cotton production in China.Because of its suitable natural conditions and historical factors,the cotton planting industry has always been in a relatively light position in Hebei.As early as before the outbreak of the all-out War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression,Japan launched a series of detailed investigations and activities.The Japanese consul in Tianjin once bought land to establish a farm for cotton planting in Balitai,Nankai.It can be said that Japan made considerable preparations for the plunder of cotton resources.In 1937,after the outbreak of the July 7th Incident,Japanese imperialists quickly occupied Hebei by force,and also put the cotton resources in Hebei as the key control and plunder objects.Japan controlled and plundered the production,supply and sale of cotton mainly through the establishment of pseudo regimes and pseudo organizations,as well as the establishment of special organs for guiding and rewarding cotton planting and administrative organs for cotton trading.In terms of cotton production,the North China Cotton Production Improvement Association was responsible for the implementation of the cotton production,and took many measures such as training cotton planting technicians,building water conservancy facilities,and providing financial support,so as to increase the cotton output in Hebei.At the same time,the Japanese puppet in the cotton purchase,through the establishment of North China Cotton Association,the implementation of public pricing to control the cotton trading price,monopolized the cotton market,seriously violated the law of value.In cotton output,the Japanese puppet promulgated a legal nature of the regulations,and also made strict rules of punishment.The purpose of the Japanese puppet is to use the way of absolute control,so that both the production link and the circulation link of cotton are under its strict control.With the development of the situation,the plunder policy and policy of the Japanese puppet in the occupied area of hebei are constantly adjusted and improved,the essence of the intention is to cooperate with the political and military actions of the Japanese army.In the process of controlling and plundering the cotton resources in Hebei occupied area,controlling was the means and plundering was the essence.The ultimate goal was to realize "feeding the war with war" to serve the war of aggression.Such acts fully exposed the nature and intention of Japanese imperialism’s war of aggression and also brought untold disasters and immeasurable economic losses to the occupied areas of Hebei.