BRITISH POLICY IN CHINA.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18924, 12 February 1927, Page 15

BRITISH POLICY IN CHINA.

—• LABOUR'S CRITICISM. REPLY BY MINISTIvI.S. dT TABLE ITES" • i 3OCI.VT: r->: -- f • .V-. :j ii~ AVST«ALU!I iSD r.l OBI.* A>HJ..<:' ' (lie; oi\ I'd I-'cnuarv ill!:. .".'."> ■ n:. LONDON, IV, r •". i". ':. liic House ol' { 0111 tuoii- Mi '!:•'• irlyaii. sul.-mittin.: 'ho Labour a:;> i; 1nient o li'..' Acl(liv..,-i:i-lU'ii!y. said La I ,our s poliry w.\s Lo put China »i a i«otinji ■:. tniiuuul indep* ji.:c;i' c in the :;u'a:iiti'_' ot the term, and they

would :iii a'.lnw Britain to «,u:irrrl with he -i'ni'-t '•/.•■.■.:u e :!ic latter was hacking 'hat iinlicy Personally, he Iclii'vc! that the Cou-ervatne (onenimoiiL '■'. as moving in the same direction, 'hough nioie cautiously, hut 111«> sending ot troop-, hail brought, chao a when a settlement \va> almost reached Sellre>pecting Governments did not sign treaties while the mailed ti>t uaohuken in their faces. .Mr Tic .clean rogicttcd tliat the League'.-, intencntion had not been sought. There was no proof that they could not have got a guarantee from Mr Chen lot security. The speaker was oi the opinion that tho Government's course constituted a disastrous and immediate risk of destroying for a time the chance ot a negotiated settlement. "'We send ponder there and a ,-pariv might light it," he declared. When Sir Arthur Chamberlain rose he cmpliasi>ed the difference beUecu Mr Trevclyau's speech and those ot Sir MacDonnld and Mr Thomas. Mr .MacDouafd and himself were uof far apart in the policy they de»in-d to pursue in China, but Mr Trevelyai: used language which might well be taken elsewhere as an encouragement to refuse a settlement. The Government's policv had been to co-operato with tho other Powers. Britain in December indicated the broad lines upon which she was ready to move in the hop© of placing relations on a friendly basis. All the agitations in Shanghai and Canton had been antiBritish, and though there were three other Concessions in Hankow, only Britain's was attacked. Did ever troops show such gallant self-control as the naval men did on January 3rd P

"Despite the shaking of the mailed fist in our faces and the forcible seizure of our Concession, we arc still negotiating," Sir Austen said. "All this happened after Sir Miles Lainpson's conversations with Mr Chen." It was easy for the Opposition to say the risk must not lie over-rated, but would Mr Trenelyan feel as happy if his wife had been in Shanghai, or if lie had been there himself. Every Power had taken prernutiens. but theirs was a special position. The whole drive during the lost twb years had been against Britain. They could not wait till the danger was at their gates. After outlining tho negotiations till Mr Chen broke them off on February sth because Britain had decided to negotiate on tho samo terms with tho Government at Peking, Sir Austen Chamberlain said Mr O'Malley and Mr Chen had now reached a point in tho negotiations in regard to the Concession at. which they wero in agreement. The conditions included. one that the Concession, at present being administered by a Chinese Commission, should be returned to tho British Municipal Council, which would then formally hand it over to a new Sino-Britis>li municipality elected by tho ratepayers. Thus the Chinese would have the same rights as British subjects. They were prepared to assure Mr Chen that they would do nil in their power to ensure the successful operation of the agreement.

Sir Austen Chamberlain said Mr Chen was prepared to give an assurance that all outstanding questions between the Nationalists and foreign Powers should be settled by negotiation, and also that the Nationalists would not uso force or countenance its uso for tho purpose of changing .the status of the concession and the international settlement.

Referring to troop movements, Sir Austen Chamberlain said'the Government could not take out of the hands of the men on the spot the responsibility for tho safety of lives of British nationals in Shanghai, for which it had been advised that additional troops were necessarv. Tho Government was prepared to accept Mr O'Malley's and Mr Chen's agreement, with Mr Chen's assurance, but it reserved the right to take measircs to protect British lives and interests. In order to remove any imp-ession that troops were going to Shanghai except to protect British lives and interests, Sir Austen declared that tho Government had never contemplated tho use of the troops for any other purpose, and would land only such as were necessarv. would bo stationed in tho settlement, and would not be moved outside except in grave emergency. . , ... "Wo would continue strut neutrality with regard to China's civil war." he said "Troops from India will be landed at Shanghai, for this, wc are advised, is immediately necessary to safecuard British life, but the troops coming from the Mediterranean and England will bo concentrated at Hong-Kong, am are only to go to Shanghai if required by the urgency of :■. fresh or greater flying to Mr Mac Donald. Sir Austen added that the whole object was to remove apprehension in certain quar.es n China as to the purpose or pending forces or what they were to w use-, for His words had been tr-legr.-Mdied to Mr O'Malley for to M«" Chen. , "I cannot predict tho future. ~0 . -.-u.s..' the course of negotiations is always uv,ertain." said Sir Austen. I-^ n,ed 1,, say as mud. as .have■ .one in "the House* of Commons .or tea- o b"vs.i« offence to Mr Chen, who w,.i not vet have received our communications, but I believe peace is s;curc. and ,ku a new and better understanding ofl; i • tab aims will spread n.-imig ~'.•? cse." , . Mr Oswald Mosley hoped the ..oycrnment would not approach t ; v*J» - negotiations in a spirit of b■ i..;>"' -• It was time Britain subst. ■e, o policy of a groat nation for the ; .o.m> of a pawnbroker. "If we must scuttle, let n« s.-.itt.e , vith jignity." he said. "** £™ pursued i policy in China conceded in Arrogance M.id conducted in panle He instanced the unne-vssary d-natM. of troops. Sir Vlfrcd Mond said he did not understand whv the Labourites always asJid that their own fellow-countrymen were wrong, and their lives \aluilcss. The amendment invited the massacre o Britishers, and it ought to be «itn drawn. Dr. Hadcn Guest (Labour) sa... he could not support the amendment. -M> Ooposition ought to ask the ~ meat to withdraw troops, which Una been requested by their advisers on the spot. This demand only came from a section of the Labour Party. Mr Mac Donald, summing up on Dehalf «f the Opposition, said he hoped the effeet and the opportunities of Sir Austen Chamberlain's speech would be dulv weighed in Hankow. Tho Labou. Parlv's position was cler.r. There w.ino dispute about the negotiations ..-.e division was uuon the dispatch or troops. The Government's policy ■*■ K an with defence but was bound to end with offence. The Government had

taken as a first step what ought to have been a last step. Commander Locker-Lumpson. closing the debate, said the cause of the present ferment was the spread of a nation.-J .' sire to free China from foreign control. It was a genuine movement, although outside influences had intervened, and were using it for their own purposes. There was no Chinese Government at present able to guarantee the safety of British residents directly. It was clear that when there was no further risk the troops would be recalled.

BRITAIN'S FORCES. QUESTION IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. (ACSTBAUA* AND K.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received February 10th, 7.33 p.m.) LONDON, February 10. In the House of Commons Mr Baldwin, replying to Mr Thurtle (the Labour member for Shorcditch), said there were 9300 British residents in Shanghai. Tho total number ol Britisli reoidentu in China was 15,217. It would not be in the public interest to give details of the armed British forces at Shanghai available for the defence of the settlement. Troops would not bo used unless nn attack was made on British lives. If -anyone were going to attack foreigners in Shunghai it was not desirable that they should know too many details of the defences. Sir L. Worthington-Evnus informed Mr Gillett (Labour member for Finsbury) that the estimated costof transporting the troops to China was £645,000. Colonel Applin (Conservative member for Enfield): Are the troops now en route more than sufficient for the effective defence of Shanghai front of sixteen miles.

Sir L. Worthington-Evane: I thinknot. CHANG TAKES THE FIELD. BIG SOUTHWARD ADVANCE. (ACSTBALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) LONDON, February 10. A Japanese message from Hankow states that Chang-T&o Lin's forces are moving southwards along four routes. This is confirmed by a message from Shanghai. CHANG'S PLANS EXPLAINED.

(Al-STR.Vt.IAN AND ¥.Z CABLE ASSOCIATION) PEKING, February 10. Llir.ng-Tso J.in has circularised his general* and allies, saying that Feng Vu-hsiaug and Chiang Kai-Shek have uttcmpteU to convert China to Bolshevism wiiii the Mipport of Soviet Russia, and various places had auil'ercil the ravages of hostilities. The people of llnnuii and Hypeh had it-geri him to dispatch troops to help i-iif them of the Reds, but owing to ilonan beim: tinder the control of Ceiicrnl Wr." Pei-fu. who had refused all offers of help, he could not comply. General Wu Pei-fu, however, w.ns unable to repulse his enemies who wore gradually gaining ground. Me therefore was compelled to order his troops t.-> charge down upon the enemy iu order to recapture the Wuhan district, and tur'.'-er advance or. Honan and Canton. He "ill rogard General Wu Pei-fu s troop", stationed at Honan. as friendly, if tliev act in concert with him. but if thev dnnofc h'<* : rni"« he will subjugate then-

CHINESE NOTE TO LEAGUE. :>.i-«TP.tU.VN A»C S" CABI.I ASSOaATIOS.; CRccc-vcd Febrinry lltlt. S.2C p.m.l GENEVA, February 10. It is understood that the Chinese deleeat'e. Mr has drafted a long memorandum to the League setting out Chiin'° position in the present trouble.