NEW REGIME.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 151, 28 June 1928, Page 7

NEW REGIME.

CONDITIONS IN CHINA

Powers Have Protested At Irregular Actions. BREACHES OP AGREEMENTS. (ISritish Official Wireless.) (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, June 27. Questions bearing on various phases of the situation in China were answered in Parliament by Sir Austen Chamberlain. Hβ stated that a representative of Dr. Wang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, recently informed the British Minister that there was a sharp divergence of opinion in Nationalist circles regarding the transfer of the capital from Peking to Nanking. The question would be discussed at a plenary session of Jixß Political Council, to be held in the middle of July. The interested foreign representatives in Peking are closely watching the situation regarding the Chinese postal administration, in view of the curtailment of the powers of the French Co-Director-General at Peking. The Nanking agreement of February <> provided for the joint operation of Northern and Southern sections, under two Chinese directors-general at Peking and Nanking respectively. Protests were lodged by the Diplomatic body against this breaefc of the Washington assurance of 1922, that the Chinese Government contemplated no change in the postal administration so far as the foreign Co-Director-Genei-al was concerned. As the result of the recent developments in China it was now proposed that the post of DirectorGeneral at Nanking be abolished, and that postal affairs be controlled by a Director-General at Nanking, involving the transfer of the administration there.

The senior Consul at Shanghai was on June 15 notified that the president of the Provisional Court had been instructed by the Kiangsu Provincial Government, to hand over the duties of his office to a new appointee. The dismissal of the president whs being opposed by the Consular body, as a violation of the assurance annexed to the rendition agreement, that judges will enjoy the immunities and securities of tenure provided for by Chinese law. Questioned regarding the position in Manchuria, Sir Austen Chamberlain said that on June • 20, Marshal Cham; Tso-lin's son, Chang Hsueh-laing, took over the post of chief military commander at Mukden, and Chang Tso-lin died at midnight on June 21. Apart from this there had been no change in the political situation in Maiichuria. He was unaware of any threat to British commercial interests in that province, but developments were being closely watched.

Sir Austen said that orders had been issued by the Nanking salt administration to its inspectors at Tientsin and ac Chefoo, directing that from June 3 all payments issuable by those officers bo temporarily deposited with the various Chinese banks, to be taken over by an officer appointed by Nanking. - The orders entirely ignored the authority of the foreign associate chief inspector, and were in complete disregard of the procedure laid down in the reorganisation loan agreement for the fulfilment of the obligations secured on salt revenues. The British Minister at Peking had conveyed a warning to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Nanking of the irregularity of this action, and discussions between the associate China inspector and the Nanking authorities were proceeding.