SHELTER FOR BRITONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1937, Page 9

SHELTER FOR BRITONS

BILLETS AT LEGATION

STATEMENT IN COMMONS

.British Official Wireless.) (Received July 30, 11.5 a.m.) RUGBY, July 29. At the request of the Leader of the Opposition, the Foreign Secretary made a statement on the Far Eastern situation at the end of question time in the House of Commons today. " "According to my information," said Mr. Eden, "righting, accompanied by artillery fire and aerial bombing of varying intensity, continued all day yesterday round Peking, mainly to the south and west Japanese, aeroplanes were active outside the city. The withdrawal of foreign, nationals into the Legation quarter started early in the morning and proceeded satisfactorily all day, although the greater part of the city was barricaded and circulation became increasingly difficult as the day went on. The majority of the British subjects elected to avail themselves of the opportunity to shelter in the Legation quarter, and most of them are now billeted in the British Embassy quarters. . ■ ■ "General Sung Gheh-yuan has been .asked to issue strict orders to the Chinese military and to the police to ensure the safety of persons and property of foreign nationals inside the city. . • "As I have previously informed the House, on my instructions his Majesty's Charge d'Affaires at Tokio has made representations to the Japanese Government regarding, the safety of British subjects in Peking, and as a result I understand the Japanese Government and the local Japanese military authorities have given a .certain assurance in this respect. His Majesty's Charge d'Affaires has also emphasised to the Japanese Government the serious nature of the situation and the grave dangers ' inherent in it. I would add that his Majesty's Government is continuing to. maintain-close touch at every stage with the United States Government and the other Governments concerned." ' ', ■ Mr. Eden was asked a number of supplementary, questions. He agreed with Mr. Attlee in emphasising the seriousness of the situation, but added that so far as he was aware no Government had asked for reference of the matter to the League of Nations. "As I explained yesterday," he said, "in view of the special circumstances and the fact that neither Japan nor the United States is in the League, we are .not prepared,, ourselves at present to take any initiative in the matter." •Mr. Eden spoke of the extreme regret with which his Majesty's Government [regarded the developments, in view of the hopes which it had entertained for an improvement in Far Eastern relations generally, and which could not materialise so long as the present conditions continued.