BRITAIN'S TERMS

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 25, 31 January 1927, Page 7

BRITAIN'S TERMS

OFFER TO CHINA.

four VITAL points.

Conditions Go More _han HalfWay. CHAMBERLAIN EXPLAINS. (By Cable.—Pi ess Assocln ( lon.—Copyright.) LONDON", January 30. ■ In the coni'rc of a speech at Birmingham 1 lie Foreign Secretary, Sir Austen Cluiml.erlnin. announced the ne'V terms wlreh Uritain has offered to the Governments of Northern China and Canton. These are:

(1) Britain i< prepared to recognise modern Chinese law courts, without the attend;:lice of .'rifiJi oHicuils. as competent to deal with case.-, in which British people arc concerned.

(2) Britain is ready to apply in British Courts in China the existing Chinese '-'i\ il and commercial codes and subordinate legislation; and she is also rcadv to g'> fu •ther than this when all the Chinese coles are complete.

(li) Britain is prepared to make British nationals liable to regular Chinese taxnlioii which does not involve discrimination against British subjects and goods, including taxation under a national tariff when it is promulgated; thereby, ns far as Britain is concerned, removing the last obstacle to full tariff autonomy.

(4) Britain is prepared to enter into local arrangements according to particular circumstances at each port, either for the amalgamation of the administration with adjacent areas under Chinese control, or by some other method cf handing over the administration to China while assuring Britain a voice jn municipal natters.

Sir Austen added: "I said in 1925 that we would meet China halfway. This programme goes much farther, but it is the rig' t and wise course not only et present but for the next century. The proposals can be enforced by Britain by unilateral action, but a new treaty is impossible at the moment owing to the ci.'il war in China.

"Britain cannot recognise the Canton Government as the Government of one part of China because she would thereby recognise the division of China which every Chinese, of whatever party, would resent. Also, Britain cannot recognise the Cantonese is representing the whole of China, because they control only onethird of the population and area of China.

"Down With the British." "A further difficulty in dealing with tho Chinese Nationalists is their deliberate and persistent utilisation of an anti-Britisn war cry for the purpose ot" rallying adherents round a simple and easily comprehensible inscribed banner: 'Down with the British.' This cry is repeated throughout China and in Chinese communities abroad. This is un-

doubtedly the most dangerous factor in the situation. It is used to arouse ruobs to anti-British fury. It remains to be seen whether the Nationalists are able and willing to control the mobs."

Sir Aus:cn recalled the Canton and Shanghai liots of 1920. These, he said, were used to create a boycott of British goods and anti-British propaganda.

He declared that the moo violence at Hankow was designed to force the British to lire on unarmed Chinese and thus to cause an inc;.clcnt which would have aroused all China. Further, it would have fed the :iaines of the anti-British campaign.

The seizure of the Hankow and Kiu Ikiang concessions constituted an outrageous and unjustifiable attack on tin long-established rights of peaceful Britisl communitiis. They proved that at pre sent there was no guarantee for the safety of British lives under the Cantonese.

The evaluation of Hankow and Iviukiang was possible at short notice, but the speedy evacuation of Shanghai would be impossible. "fi.ivings of Mad Hatred." "I do not say a threat of bloodshed •nd massacre overshadows Shanghai," continued tho Minister, "i hope and beit does not, but it would be a dereliction of duty to leave the British residents of Shanghai unprotected after the events which occurred at Hankow. "The Shanghai Defence Force is merely • precautionary composition, which shows it was designed strictly to hold Shanghai. If we obtain satisfactory assurances that the events at Hankow will not be repeated the members of the Government are unitedly resolved not to De deflected from the policy of past conciliation.

VVe therefore welcome Mr. Eugene Chen's desire ;or a settlement. I refrain from controverting his account of past aistorv.''

Sir Austen added that the talk of British Imperialism in China was nonsense. Ihe British were a nation of shop-keepers. Jn the Far East they panted to keep their shops open on good terms with their customers, hoping for a United, orderly and prosperous China. "China fo - the Chinese," was a reasonable cry, but. "Kill the British," and "Drive out the British,'' were the lavmg3 of mad hatred. I hope fresh incidents will not arise o prevent a peaceful settlement and the Pacing of Anglo-Chinese relations on a Permanent basis of mutual respect an<l good feeling,'' concluded the Minister.