BRITISH LEASE.

Grey River Argus, 12 December 1928, Page 3

BRITISH LEASE.

Of Weihaiwei. “A HAVEN OF REFUGE.” RUGBY, December 7. The Colonial Office issues a report on Weihaiwei, which, witn the su rounding aria in the Snartung pi’d* vince, is held by Great Britain on lease. The report shows how this area has been exempt from the horrors undergone by millions of people of the province. In 1927 Weihaiwei became a haven of refuge for numerous Chinese in Eastern Shantung, who founl conditions in their own districts intolerable, owing not only to b mditry, but al o io the rapacity and misgovernmen L of their ov.n -fli.-1.-H Chinese m< reliant- in Che-fno am! . ■ .t plae. s. who could not carry e»i i i n<ss em ic,count of the ruthless ex- rtion p;actiser by the local authorities enterel British territory, and opened business in Port Edward, with the <• onsequence that the port entered upm. a periol of prosperity and activity that it never k? Cw in former years. The report says it is estimated that Hie wealth and population of Port Edward have doubled in five years, and, present political conditions in tiie ■>h;intung province remain unchanged I more than </v;bL ■.■ s’ tae nexi !’■ :j£IJ !:.i ; .le ;id'- ’..iv ill I■■ i < !!<->s Phe ■.■iiise (hoi; h.ij.u- that th' 1 Briti.-ii llag max h'.’ig continue io afford th. m that ’<;><•<’ and protection which they know they could not hope to obtain und.-i (he present G vernment <>l Shantung. It may be recalled that Great Briain decided at the Washington Conference to restore Weihaiwei io China, but the stipulations which v,ere then attached to repossession have not yet been fulfilled.