ANTI-BRITISH CRY

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 125, 31 May 1927, Page 15

ANTI-BRITISH CRY

IN WESTEENISED CHINA

"TWISTING THE LION'S TA!L"

SIR AUCKLAND GEDDES'S

WARNING

That a good many young men and women in China had absorbed a Western outlook from American sources which in some cases waa anti-British was declared by Sir Auckland Geddes in a striking speech delivered to the Ashford Division Conservative and Gonstiit ifi 1 Ass°ciation recently, reports the ''Daily Telegraph;" Sir Auckland, who from 1920 to 1924 was British Ambassador at. Washington, said that the OW sport of twisting the lion's tail, which when well performed had carried jmany an aspiring Congressman into the House, was still good sport in America. There was no conscious American Governmental influence at work, but there were in China large numbers of Chinese who, having been in America, repeated the shibboleths they heard there about British dealing and British Imperialism, and became leaders in an anti-British movement. It was into a movement of that sbxt that had come the influence Of Moscow, finding the ground deeply tilled > and prepared, so that it could swing the whole movement in China into anti-British channels.

"Bemember," said Sir. Auckland in the course of his speech, '' that China U getting her westernisation mainly from America. A very large percentage of % the Westernised Chinese are Americanised. It is the fashion to believe that there ia little difference between Americanisation and Europeanisation. There ia a very great difference, really. The American outlook is a very different thing from that'of Europe. It is fthe fashion to-think of America as being like ourselves. and having a special sympathy with this country. Those of you who have followed the.recent Mayoral elections in Chicago will have noticed that to-day, as in the past, an :anti-British cry is helpful at the polls. The old sport of. twisting the lion's "-stall, which, when well performed, Carried many an aspir ing Congressman' into the House, is still good sport in America. .."From among the lower-middle class of America many of the Chinese have absorbed their Western outlook. There are,.therefore, ;ia China a very great number of young men and young women Westernised, Americanised, and anti-Britishised. "NONE OT THE ODIUM." "America/ has not got concessions like we have," Sir Auckland added. "The Americans live in our concessions. They get all the advantages and none of the odium. I am not suggest ing that there is a conscious American Governmental influence at work. Sucli a thing is not at work. What I am saying to you is this, that we have got in China a largo number of Chinese who, having been in America, have at> •orbed the ideas which America gives, ana, having got.back to China, repeat some of the shibboleths they have heard in the United States about British dealIng and British Imperialism, and they become leaders in an anti-British movement which has for its object.the getting of something .which never belonged to them, and which their rice noyer created, namely, the European cities of China. It is into a movement of that ■prt that has come the influence of Moscow, finding the ground deeply 1 tilled Land prepared, so-that it, could swingthe whole movement in China into antiBritish channels.' It has suited their game, and it has suited their book, and they have played their game, as they always play it, with energy and skill. Their game at the:present moment is to do as much harm to the British Empire as they can. r ' "Our Government had been faced by a situation of appalling difficulty. The British Government, from the' date of th» conference in Washington in 1923 up to last autumn, did everything in its power to get unanimity between what we might speak of conveniently as the Western Powers, so that in their dealings with China they might go forward together and have a., equitable arrangement with the Chinese. It i no secret now—although it waa for a long time— that the difficulty our Government had was to get th« other Governments to be as trustful of the good intentions of China as we were prepared to be; I do not like to say as-generous to China, because it was not all generosity. We thought if we trusted the Chinese they would really;build better than if they were.held-to some of the old arrangements, which- had certainly grown.completely but of date. But the difficulty was that the other nations would not go so far as we were propared to go, and a very subtle propaganda against this country was run in China. I am assured, on what I believe to be. good authority, that there wore two streams of that anti-British propaganda—one definitely inspired from Moscow through the Bolshovik organisation in China, the other running from many of the American mission and hospital centres—not an official propaganda in that case; merely an instinctive belief that ,we would be the ungenerons nation towards China." TRUTH NOT KNOWN. 8b long as Chinese political leaders did not think it worth while to let the truth be known, the truth would not be known, said Sir Auckland. It was impossible, to imagine that the Chinese people as such had begun to realise what the British' policy was. They were being fed, as they had been fed now for years, with/a desire to get rid of the foreigner,- and the foreigner who was most in evidence,, the foreigner wno had dflne most'to build the trade of China,-was, the Briton, and therefore the thing; ;w.as anti-British. The Chinese had no right-to interfere with tne_ foreign; Settlements or Concessions unuil some treaty arrangement had been made to modify the status of these Settlements and Concessions. The British Government, he thought, had- steered a masterly course in its relations with China, and with the other interested Powers. • , 'i <B? t,., we,* re * lon« way from the end of this business in China," declared Sir Auckland. "The British Government has been working for peace **?•. ? n goodwill, and it w still working for that in tihina as in; Europe. But ;;,there will be no goodwill of the; possessions of foreigners are to be seirt* and the lives of foreigners taken with unimaginable-out-rage. We know from experience what excited Chinese mobs can do in dealing with Europeans.! We have got to stand clearly and firmly as a nation by the policy which our Government has enunciated, a policy of generous understanding and sympathy with China in her aspirations to take her place as a modernised nation. ■ We have got clearly, to defend the lives and the property; of our nationals, where they are legally and under treaty rights established on Chinese soiK We have got to recognise clearly that Hong Kong, the great British p6rt,;,built upon a pestilential and deserted island, is, part of the British. Empire, and is going to stay.partbf.it. (ioadoiieers.) It is .imposwbleto.hope for. a quick, solution of the difficulties which exist out there. The; anti-British feeling will be famed by a Bolshevik intrigue. We have got as a nation to support our Government in its wise and steady policy of conciliation with strength." (Cheers.)