PROTECTION OF SHANGHAI

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 100, 22 January 1927, Page 9

PROTECTION OF SHANGHAI

EXTRAORDINARY PRECAUTIONS BEING TAKEN TO PREVENT REPETITION OF HANKOW INCIDENTS GREAT BLOW TO MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA Extraordinary precautions are being taken against an uprising of the mob in the International and French settlements in Shanghai. The interior of China is fast being drained of foreign merchants and missionaries, and missionary work in China is declared to be doomed.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.

Shanghai, January 20. The interior of China is fast being drained of foreign merchants and missionaries, who are leaving under instructions of the British authorities, and proceeding to Hankow or the nearest river port, where they are picked up by British gunboats and transferred to Shanghai, which is sheltering thousands of foreign refugees from all parts of China. Britain’s future moves are clouded with uncertainty. Messages are daily being received that additional naval reinforcements are proceeding to China. British warships of the smaller class continue to proceed to Hankow, where the Secretary of the British Leganon at Peking, Mr. O. St. C. O’Malley, continues to negotiate with the Chinese. ACCOMMODATION for foreign TROOPS. Extraordinary precautions are being taken against an uprising of the mob in the International and French Settlements. Barb-wire barricades are being erected at all important intersections, with twelve-foot iron gates at the most important places. The erection of accommodation for a large force of foreign troops from overseas is proceeding at strategic points, ■ particularly at the municipal utility plants. An hotel in the heart of the settlement is being fortified in preparation for receiving women and children in case of necessity. Everything points to a determined resistance by the Shanghai authorities to any. attempt at a repetition of the Hankow incidents. Industrial strikes, alwavs the forerunner of riots, are already here. The trams are paralysed and the electricity service threatened. MISSIONARY WORK DOOMED. Missionary work in China is henceforth doomed. Missionary protests notwithstanding, it has suffered the grearcst blow in its history. All save a few die-hards are deserting their posts and heading for Shanghai, lhe Szechwan Province, regarded as the greatest field for missionary work, is being evacuated systematically of its 500 missionaries, of all faiths. liven the socalled “Christian General,” Feng YuHsiang, is hounding missionaries from the-territory under his control. • A few missionaries in the interior'are held by the Chinese, as hostages against British reprisals', which are greatly feared bv the Chihese as the result of the Hankow incident, which conservative' Chinese consider overstenned the bounds of international friendship. BRITAIN’S PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES EXPLAINED TO LEADERS OF OPPOSITION (Rec. January 21, 8.15 p.m.) London, January 20. In accordance with custom, Mr. Austen Chamberlain had conferences with Mr.. Ramsay MacDonald and Mr. Lloyd George separately, as leaders of _ the ’ Opposition, and explained the position regarding China, especially the precautionary measures which the Govern- . meat were adopting. MEGANTIC TO TAKE MARINES London, January 20. The Megantic is being fitted out at Liverpool to take marines to China.

[The Megantic is a White Star liner of 15,000 tons, built in 1909. She was a troopship during the Great War.]

JAPAN’S ATTITUDE DIVISION OF OPINION IN THE DIET MAY LEAD TO DISSOLUTION Tokio, January 20. A vote of lack of confidence was introduced in the Lower House, which was immediately prorogued for three davs. A dissolution is expected. Gropps in the House of Lords are reported to have framed a resolution demanding that the Government announce a more positive policy in China, definitely asserting Japan’s intention forcibly'to protect the interests of the Japanese Government and Japanese nationals, using force, if necessary, and thus clarifying the position. The newspap'ers ( generally approve Baron Shidehara’s position, which is interpreted to mean that whatever form of government China adopts Japan is determined to maintain and defend her own system of government. The ‘Asahi” disapproves of a policy of following the British lead, and points out that the British Government has changed face, thereby upsetting Japan’s economic policy. It argues there- ■ from the correctness of Baron Shidehara’s attitude in demanding the reopening of the Customs Conference. The “Asahi” urges the Government to act indepdentlv and to adopt a friendly and sympathetic course throughout the negotiations for a revision .of the Treaty. SPAIN DISPATCHING A CRUISER (Rec. January 21, 8.15 p.m.) Madrid, January 20. General De Rivera and his Ministers, after a long conference, decided to send the cruiser Don Blas Lezo to China, with orders to protect religious missions. SPANISH TROOPS AKO (Rec. January 21, 9.55 p.m.) London, January 21, The “Daily News” Madrid correspondent says a' detachment of troops also is going to Shanghai.—-Sydney “Sun” Cable. AGAINST ARMED INTERVENTION NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY’S MESSAGE Mr. Nash, the secretary of the New Zealand Labour Partv, has forwarded a cablegram to the Right Hon. James Ramsay MacDonald, M.P., Parliamentary Leader of the British Labour Party, pledging the New Zealand Labour Party’s support to the British Labour movement in any action taken to prevent armed intervention by the British Government in China.