TROUBLE IN CHINA

Evening Star, Issue 19002, 25 July 1925, Page 9

TROUBLE IN CHINA

AGITATORS ARRESTED ATTACK IH AMERICAN RAUCH Press Association—By Telegraph—'Copyright PEKING, July 23. The Fengtien general, acting upon a recent proclamation that he would not itolerate disturbances of the peace, closed the Union of Labor and Commerce rooms, and also the headquarters of the Chinese Seamen’s Union, as well as a few organisations of less importance. Ten agitators were arrested. Bandits on July 20 attacked a ranch in Northern Manchuria, which an American, Major Morgan Palmer, was delevoping for refugees from the famine districts. The Americans put up a fight, in which Major Palmer was killed and an_ eye-specialist. Dr Howard, of the Union Medical College, was captured. Other foreigners from the ranch reached safety. Idle American Consul at Harbin has gone to interview the Kirin Governor to urge Dr Howard’s release.—Reuter. A CALLOUS ACT. PEKING, July 24. (Received July 25, at 9.15 a.in.) Great indignation is felt in the British community circles at the unchivalrous behaviour of the Chinese steamer Kiangshun in leaving to her fate the British steamer Loongwo, which was aground in the Yang-tsze and in danger of slipping into deep water and foundering. The Loongwo signalled the Kiangshun to help and to take off lier passengers, including women and children. The Kiangshun prepared to obey, but the Chinese passengers, learning that the skipper, who was a foreigner, was going to the assistance of a British ship, threatened violence to the captain and the foreign passengers if be rendered help, and forced him to continue the voyage.—Reuter, SHANGHAI RIOTS. In a letter to ‘ The Times » Mr H. Q Simms, late chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council, 1922-23, writes: “ The National Council of the Independent Labor Party has issued a manifesto ‘demanding’ the immediate application in all factories in China which enjoy foreign protection of Labor legislation worthy of European standards, demanding the withdrawal of the armed forces, and ‘assures the Chinese workers of its sympathy with their just protest.’ While those of us _in this country who have lived in China and have business and other relations with China can taste the _ Moscow flavor in the above concoction, it is only fair to those responsible for the peace and good government of the Shanghai International Settlement and its neighbor the French Concession, that the people of this country who are not personally interested _in China, and who are not familiar with the history of its treaties with foreign Powers, should know that the wtlidrawal of armed forces would place iii jeopardy the lives of some 30,000 European, American, and Japanese citizens in Shanghai, not to mention thousands more in the other treaty ports and in the interior. If the National Council of the I.L.P. happened to be in Shanghai instead of being safely under the shelter of the British Flag, they would be the first to applaud the services of that efficient little body called the Shanghai Volunteers, which time and again has come to the assistance of the equally efficient Shanghai police forces of the International Settlement and French Concession in protecting the foreign population of Shanghai, isolated among milieus of Chinese. As for the National Council’s ‘ demand ’ for the immediate abolition of extra-territorial rights in China, it would be just as well if the council were told quite plainly that under present conditions in China such a course is impossible, and in making such a ‘ demand ’ at the present time they are not only holding themselves up to ridicule, but they are doing a grievous injury to their fellow-country-men in China, _ who know the consequences ;of being deprived of extraterritorial rights. 1 trust the British Government will sternly rebuke the National Council of the Independent Labor Party for meddling at a time like this in matters they obviously know little about, and who are using the difficulties in Shanghai for propaganda purposes. As regards labor conditions in Shanghai, 1 might say that more experienced heads than those composing the National Council have been working on this question for some considerable time. Before the National Council labels the Chinese protest as 1 just ’ they should be sure of their facts. The Shanghai Municipal Council, which controls the Shanghai Volunteers, does not have recourse to force without the best of reasons, and that is to protect the lives of those under their charge. I would strongly recommend the National Council of the I.L.P. to be just to those who have to shoulder the responsibility of preserving order in Shanghai, when their manifestos would be more representative of British justice.”