PEKIN ROUSED

Grey River Argus, 20 June 1925, Page 5

PEKIN ROUSED

SHANGHAI FLARES AGAIN Shipping Strike Grows PE-TZIN, June 1-. Thousands of incendiary provocative anti-loreign posters appear throughout Pekin, depicting British police shooting and bayoneitiiig defenceless students, women and chthlren, lying on the ground. The \-ernacular papers are mostly refusing to print reliable telegrams, and are inserting absurdly garbled versions oj events. Despite an official statement tlm every effort would be made to prevent anti-foreign riots, nothing has been done to hinder the dangerous inflammatory agitation. 'l\vql brigades <i|f Mukden troops nave arrived in tho vicinity of Pek n It is explained they will act as special guard for the Chief Fxectirive. Chang Tso Un also sent a battalion for special police duty at Pekin. CBITTCAL SITI'ATION AT SHANGHAI. A wireless from Shanghai says thai the agitation has again flared lip. The situation is critical. The British Consul has been forced to leave the Consulate, and has taken up In residence ill Lungmen Temple. 1.r.. ons have been stoned and assau!' in the streets. The warship Zeal is protecting the Asiatic Petroleum Company’s installation. Shanghai reports that the shipping strike is becoming worse. The Po. tuilg Wharf coolies have struck, also ninety per cent, of the Shanghai lug Lighter Company's Lightermen Ninety ox-municipal police led a huge procession which smashed the windows of the shops containing Ang’oJapanes.e goods, until Chang Sue': Liang’s 'troops interfered and subdued the crowd, who subsequently sent a. delegation to Chang

Liang- to throw in his lot with the strikers. Chang counselled prudence and patience. Late last night strik-

ers set lire Ji. the Japanese Kungdah cotton mill, but the police extinguished it, little damage bein'-' done. AT OTHER There is no news from Amoy ai '•'<>.'chow. The position ait Kiulliam_ is improv ng. Hankow is quiet. At Hongkong some of the older st’.’ dents struck in sympathy \\ ijr.li th< Shanghai movement. Parents d others escorted them to college, a precaution against possible intnnula tion. Feeling amongst the leadinv local Chinese interests is strongly against Hongkong being inv lved i SHANGHAI COM- ERENCE REACHES DEADLOCK. FOREIGN DELEGATES LE VVE PEKN'i, June H After several meetings between re presentalives of the Chinese Govern ment and the interested Powers, <• i Shanghai, to discuss the situation and endeavour to find a. solut’on o the dilliculties, the negotiations were broken off, owing ti the divergent--of views which developed. The Chin esc delegation presented a series o-: demands which the foreign represen tat-ivos insisted they were not author ised to deal with. The Chinese insisted in pressing- these matters consequently the deadlock occurred The. foreign delegates returned -to ' Pekin. Start of Trouble DEBATE IN BRITISH I’ARLIA. MENT. LONDON, June 111. A debate in the House of Commons on the Shanghai position was opened by Mr Trevelyan (Labour), who stressed the alarming condition of China. He agreed that it was the elementary duty of the Government to protect the lives of their fellow citizens, in which connection ho promised Labour’s support, but he contended that the origin of the trouble was in matters industrial, while the climax had come through the unjustifiable shooting of Chinese. He asserted that the British Government were using their forces to back up capitalistic exploitation. Mr Chamberlain, in replying, admit, ted that the industrial conditions were not ideal. The British Government was doing, and had always done, its best to effect an improvement. The trouble was renllv much deeper.seated. FTn referred to the dissatisfaction and discontent of the almost incoherent and governmentless congeries of conn tries forming the Chinese Empire, which, notwithstanding goodwill and intornntion-d co-operation being pro. prised Ip- the Washington Conference prevented the Powers doing little more than stand and watch. Mr ChemhorMn denied th-'t I 1 "' order to fire was precipitately. Ou the contrary, action was »not taken until the police station was endangered with the arms it contained. Mr Chamberlain declared the British Government was anxious to do its utmost to facilitate the stabilisation of the conn try, a»nd pronosed to consult with other Powers to facilitate the promptest convocation of a Chinese Tariff Conference, as foreshadowed at Washington. Tie honed tthat .with the goodwill of the Powers and China they would be able to pilot th e country through a transition period, and establish a Government on firm foundations ot equity and Justice. CALL FOR GENERAL STRIKE. PEKIN. June 19. A message from Shanghai states that a mass meeting of students and working citizens, held at Kwantung University, decided t , call n S™ 1 '™ 1 The meeting also declared a g> boycott of British, Japanese and Amo ican goods. . The date of the strike is < <• the Associated cd a resolution that un ~ p eo.operating ?' ith '<’n any necessary step to enrlv ’'estoration • (11P It 'was agreed to tong i sh; . n nesc Chambers of C _ onu " C ‘ ff f ‘ for : .n hai requiring their best effort for early flotation of penne.