戦前期中国の日本領事館警察をめぐる国際紛争

Abstract

本稿が考察するのは，日本と欧米列強の狭間で起こった日本領事館警察に関連しての外交的紛争の本質である。朝鮮と南満州のいくつかの事例を考慮しつつ，1919年の天津租界での日米衝突事件に対しより深い分析をして，最終的に1930年代の日本領事館警察の正当性について日本 と欧米学者間で行われた国際法的論争に注目する。特に論じたいのは，欧米各国も不平等条約 体制による利権を得たから日本領事館警察に対しての欧米批判は，中国側のその体制による国 家主権が被害された主張と同情心によって生まれたものではなく，欧米各国の権利が侵された 時だけに起こるという事である。その他，1930年代の日中関係の悪化は日本領事館警察の活動 が一つの原因であると信じてた欧米評論家が確かに数人いたが，領事館警察の正当性と必要性 を完全に認められなかった者は非常に少なかった。一方で日本人評論家は，中国本土や世界中 の植民地で欧米列強によって敷かれた治外法権体制こそが日本領事館警察制度の正当性を示す ものであるとよく論じた事。

This article explores the nature of diplomatic disputes between Japan and the Western Powers concerning the actions of Japanese consular police forces in China. After considering a few early examples from Korea and South Manchuria, the focus shifts to a more lengthy analysis of a violent clash between Japanese consular police officers and U.S. Army soldiers in the foreign concession neighborhood of Tianjin in May 1919. Finally, the discussion explores the legal arguments of Japanese and Western scholars related to the legitimacy of the Japanese consular police in China during the 1930s. The article contends that Western criticism of the Japanese consular police was not motivated by sympathy with Chinese claims of violated national sovereignty, because the Western Powers also enjoyed the benefits of unequal treaty system. Only when Japanese consular police activity infringed upon the sovereignty of the Western Powers did their representatives in China voice any opposition to them. Moreover, while some Western observers noted the presence of consular police as a significant factor in the worsening of China-Japan relations during the 1930s, few challenged either the legal legitimacy or practical necessity of those police forces. Japanese scholars in turn often argued that the legitimacy of the consular police was affirmed by the nature of extraterritorial privilege in China created by the Western Powers there and around the world at that time.