CHINESE CRISIS

Grey River Argus, 17 June 1925, Page 5

CHINESE CRISIS

STRIKE UNABATED BIG PEKIN DEMONSTRATION. (Reuter). PEKIN, June 15. Ihe activities of the strikers are unabated. Strikers on June 13th. intimidated workers at Jardine Mathe. son’s Kungiik cotton mill, and the em. ployees walked out. The largest demonstration in Pekin since the crisis was made by students, merchants, shopkeepers and workmen, who paraded and demanded that the Government sever its relations with Britain, and instruct the Hsiao, Yao- | nan, Tupan and Hupeh troops to take back the Hankow concession from Britain. It is understood that the Senjuilin returns to his duties to-day. Cabinet and the local authorities held a long meeting to.day to discuss the measures tor the protection of foreigners in China outside the settlement. HANKOW RIOTS BRITISH REPLY TO CHINA. PEKIN, June 15. The British Note replying to th? Chinese Note, regarding the Hankow riots, points out the inaccuracies therein, and states the facts in connection with the riots, from which it can be seen that the volunteers showed great restraint, they retaining from firing even when the mob charged almost on to the bayonets. The Note said that foreigners were defending their lives against a murderous mob, and does not admit the responsibility of British authorities, who were unable to obtain prompt protection from the Chinese authorities and were obliged to act for themselves. The Note reminds the Government of the repeated warnings of the responsibility China incurs in allowing the present anti-British pamphlets giving most mendacious accounts of the happenings, and concludes by stating that those calumnies are very dangerous for the people’s disposition is uncertain. One explosion may be followed by others, with deplorable results. AID FROM SOVIET. LONDON, June 15. The “Daily Mail's” Riga corres. pondent states: The Soviet Govern, ment is despatching train loads of ammunition, field guns and stores to General Chang Tso Lin in support of the Chinese anti-European movement. BRITISH ADMISSIONS. EXPLOITATION of labour. BUT SAME OLD ATTITUDE. (Received June 16 at 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 15. In tile House of Commons, replying to a suggestion that the (trouble at Shanghai was due to the low wages and to the. employment of children, Sir A. M. Samuel, for the Foreign Office, emphasised that, the British Government had to improve the conditions of labour within the international settlement alt Shanghai. It had, however, no control outside. The mob at Shanghai was very large, and was of murderous intent. Had they succeeded in seizing arms at the police station, there would have been undoubtedly more bloodshed. The British policy in connection wixli China was adopted in concert wKli the other Powers interested, and no points of difference had arisen. The casualties at Shanghai numbered 21 Chinese killed, and 65 wounded. One American had been wounded. The ■British Consul at Hankow had reported tha.fi the firing done there was inevitable. Had the Chinese authorities. he said, co-operated with the Defence Force, the deplorable loss of life would have been avoided. Tlie disturbances at Shanghai and Hankow were symptoms of deep ante! widespread unrest. This was exploited by interested parties to stir up feeling against the Powers with the largest interests in China, who therefore were deeply concerned 'to co-op-erate with China to secure progress and reform. The surest remedy for the anti-foreign feeling in Chjna would lie in an attempt, by the Treaty Powers, to carry out the decisions of the Washington Conference in regard to eo-.operation between the Powers and China in measures beneficial to China. The British Government was considering the best means of overcoming the. .difficulties, arising largely from the absence of effective Government Jn China. lie trusted the forthcoming conference on internal traffic in China would afford an opportunity of removing such obstacles and. dissipating the present atmosphere of distrust, thus in. augurating an era of fruitful co-opera-tion between China and the Powers.

BeplyJiSg to Mr MacDonald, Mr Baldwin gave an assurance that the Government was eo-operating with the Powers in taking every' step possible te prevent the disturbances becoming a really big international trouble in the Far East. There was every rea. son to believe the Powers and the Chinese ‘Government’s Commission of Inquiry at Shanghai would co-operate most heartily.