CHINESE HATRED

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 91, 14 October 1926, Page 10

CHINESE HATRED

AGAINST THE BRITISH

THE CAUSE OUTLINED

ADDBESS BY MISSIONARY.

(By Telegraph.^ (Special to "The Evening e»Mt.") „ AUCKLAND, 13th October. An address on "An Awakening China" was given, by the Eev. Or. H. M'Neur, ModeTator-designate of th« Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, in St. David's Church, last evening. Mr. M'Neur is the senior missionary, of the Presbyterian Church at the Canton Villages Mission, where he has been stationed for nearly twenty-five years. After dealing with the relationship of the various nations of the Bast, the speaker described the effect of • tho boycott ol! British goods on British trade iv China. In 1924, 25 per,cent. of China's imports were British, and the greater part passed through Hong Kong to Canton, and then to the interior of the southern provinces. Since June, 1925, this trade had ceased altogether. . .".' . Mr. M'Neur outlined the reasons/for the bitter hatred of Britain now-pre-valent in China. The first serious trouble came with the opium wars iv the middle of last century. As a result there had always been a slumbering ill-feeling, especially in the neighbourhood of Hong Kong, and very little would fan it into a flame. Later, about 1898, the seizure of Chinese ports by foreign Powers left China without a single coast port under her own control. This led to the Boxer rising, which was an effort on the, part of the Chinese to drive the foreigners into the ocean. Another comparatively new, cause of ill-feeling was the Soviet Pro« paganda, which was devilish in its effectiveness. The Soviet had deliberately used the opportunity offered by the Chinese unrest to direct a campaign against Britain. Describing the unfortunate happening in Shanghai in the summer of last year, Mr. M'Neur Baid .that it arose out of a,procession held by the Chinese in the international settlement. Some of the Chinese were arrested by the British police for breaches of. 'bylaws, and their companions demanded theii release. A crowd gathered outside the police station, and the sergeant in command, fearing for the safety o£ hii men, warned the gathering to disperse. A few seconds later he gave the command to fire, and the police fired to kill. 'A procession of sympathy with the dead and injured was held at Canton on 28rd June, 1925, and, because of the warning! received, the foreign concession wai guarded by British and French marine! in machine-gun emplacements. The procession had almost passed when a number of militia at the rear commenced to foe into the foreign concession. Th« machine-guns replied with terrible ef feet. Photographers took pictures oi the dead, which were circulated to stii up the hatred of Britain. Mr. M'Neui also dealt with a number of othe* causes of bitterness on the part of the Chinese, including the restrictions of. taxes on imports and exports to 5 j>«l cent. ■ " . ..