HALT AT HONG KONG

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 29, 4 February 1927, Page 9

HALT AT HONG KONG

PUTTING BRITAIN ON SIDE

CABINET MAY CONSIDER IT

(Eeceived 4th February, noon.)

LONDON, 3rd February.

Interest in the Chinese situation is to-day in'tho rumour that Cabinet to-morrow will consider halting the troopships at Hong Kong in order to overcome Chen's objection to negotiating while Britain is concentrating troops in Chinese territory.

Colour is given to this possibility by the report that the First Su^olks, pioneers of tho Shanghai Defence Force, are disembarking at Hong Kong to-mor-row. Critics of the Government^ dispatching troops will be answerecL The troops going out, if landed "at Hong IKolig, will be a few hours' sail from Shanghai. Britain will bo in no worse a position than Japan, while, if a sudden crisis arose aircraft could" 1 be quickly on the spot from Hong Kong. The Labour Joint Council, headed by Messrs, Mac Donald, Thomas, and Henderson, had <a long interview with Sir Austen Chamberlain in the Foreign Office. Mr. Baldwin was present. The delegates later addressed the Joint Council, which is resuming it- discussion to-morrow.