CHINESE PUZZLE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 12 February 1927, Page 5

CHINESE PUZZLE

DISCUSSED IN COMMONS. PROSPECT OF SETTLEMENT. LABOUR AMENDMENT DEFEATED. BY CAULK—CRESS ASSOCIATION—COR YRlGlil'. LONDON. Feb. 10. , Tfho topic of paramount importance in the House ol CtouiinoiLs to-day wias x the crisis in China, discussion on wlnen was opened by the moving of a. Labour amendment to the Address-in-Reply. Mr. O. P. Trevelyan, in submitting the Labour amendment, said that Labour’>* policy was to 1 put C.liina on .a footing of national inde|>endenfe iu the fullest meaning of the term, and Labour would not tallow Britain to quarrel with the Soviet because the latter was backing that policy. Personally, he believed the Conservative Government was moving in the same direction, though more cautiously, but the sending ol troops had brought chaos when a settlement was about .reached. Self-re-specting Governments did not sign treaties while a mailed list was being shaken in their faces. Mr. 'i Tevelyan regretted that the League’s, intervention had not been sought. 'There was no proof that they could not have got a guarantee from Ghen for security. The speaker was of the opinion, that the Government’s course constituted a diisiaisbrou® and immediate risk of destroying for a time, the chance of a negotiated settlement. “We .send powder there,’’ he said, “and a. spark might light it.’’ fWhen Sir Austen Chamberlain rose he emphasised the difference between Mr. Trevelyan’s speech and those of Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Thomas. Air. MacDonald and himself were not far apart in policy. They desired to pursue a .settlement in Girina, but Mr. Trevelyan had used language ■which might well be taken elsewhere as an encouragement to refuse a settlement. The Government’s -policy bad been to co-operate with the other Powers. Britain, in December, indicated the broad lines upon which she was ready to move, in the hope of placing relations on a friendly basis. All the agitations in Shanghai and Canton had been lanti-British land, though there were three other concessions in Hankow, only Britain’s was attacked. Did ever troops show such gallant self-control as the naval men did on January 3, and, despite the shaking of the mailed fist .in our faces and the forcible seizure of our concession. we 'were still negotiating. All this had happened after Sir Mile* Lampson’s conversations with Chen. It was easy for the Opposition to say the risk must not be over-rated, but would Air. Trevelyan feel as ha.ppy if his wife were in Shanghai or if he were there himself? Every Power had taken precautions, but ours was a special position. The whole drive during the il adtwo years had been against us. We oould not wait till danger was at our gates.

CONCESSION AT HANKOW. After outlining the negotiations till Chen broke them off on .February 5, “because we decided to negotiate on the same terms with the Government at Peking/' Sir Austen Chamberlain said that Air O’Alalley and Chen had now reached this point in the negotiations, that in regard to the concession they were in agreement. The conditions included one that the concession, which is at present being administered by the Chinese commission, is to he returned to the British Municipal Counaa cil. It is then to be formally handed Wf over to the new Chino-British muni- ** eipality elected by the ratepayers. Thus the Chinese will have the same rights as British subjects. “We are prepared to assure Chen we will do all in our pow'er to ensure the successful operation of the agreement," said Sir Austen. Chen was prepared, said Sir, Austen to give an assurance that all outstanding questions between the Nationalists and foreign Powers should be settled by negotiations, also that the Nationalists would not use force or countenance its use for the purpose of changing the status of the concession and the international settlement.

MOVEMENTS OF TROOPS. Referring to troop movements, Sir Austen Chamberlain said the Government could not take out of the hands of the men on the spot the responsibility for the safety of our nationals in Shanghai, for which it had been advised additional troops were necessary. The Government was.prepared to accept the 0 'M:i ib;;.'-Chen agreement with Chen’s assurance, but it reserved the right to take measures to protect British lives an : interests. In order to remove any impression that the troops were going to Shanghai except to protect British lives and interests, Sir Ausen Chamberlain declared that the Government had never contemplated the use of troops for any other purpose, and would land only such as were necessary. These would be stationed in the settlement and would not be moved outside except in grave emergency. “We would continue the strict neutrality with regard to China’s civil war,’’ he said. “Troops from India will be landed at Shanghai. This, we are advised, is immediately necesjL sary to safeguard British lives, but the ■ troops coming from the Mediterranean and England will be concentrated at Hongkong, only to go to Shanghai if required by the urgency of fresh ot greater danger.”

PEACE BELIEVED SECURE. .Replying to Air AlacDonald, Sir Austen Chamberlain added that his whole object was to remove apprehension in certain quarters of China as to the purpose in sending forces, or as to what they wore to be used for. His words had" been telegraphed to Mr O’Alalley for communication to Chon. “I cannot predict the future because the course of negotiations is always uncertain,” he said. “I hesitated to say as much as-I have done in the House of Commons for fear of giving offence to Chen, who will not yet have received our communication, but I believe peace is secure and that a new and better understanding of British aims will bo spread among the Chinese.”

CANADA’S SYMPATHY. WITH BRITAIN AND CHINA. OTTAWA. Feb. 10. The Dominion Prime Minister, the Rfc. Hon. AY. L. McKenzie; King, during his pronouncement that the- Canadian Government at present cannot see any useful purpose would Ik.- served in A dispatching Canadian troops to China, oaid that Canada fully sympathised with Chir-’f desire to control her own destinv. Only one Canadian had been killed in all the years of civil war.

Canada had had no part in shaping British policy, or in acquiring rights and privileges in China. MORE OPINIONS EXPRESSED. ilr. O. AXosley hoped that the Government would not approach the Chinese negotiations in a spirit of bargaining. it was time that Britain substituted the policy of a great nation for tue policy -of a pawnbroker, “If we must scuttle," he said, “let us scuttle with dignity. We nave pursued a policy iu China conceived in arrogance and conducted in a panic." He instanced the unnecessary despatch of troops. Sir Alfred Aloud said he did nob understand why the Labourites always assumed that their own fellow-country-men wore wrong and their lives valueless. The amendment invited the massacre of Britishers, and it ought to be withdrawn.

Air. Haden Guest (Labour) said lie eou.d not support the amendment. No opposition ought to ask the Government to withdraw ti-oops which had been requested by their advisers on the spot. Their demand only came from a section of the Labour Party.

Air. MacDonald, summing up on behalf of tiie Opposition, hoped that the effect of and the opportunities in Sir Austen Chamberlain’s speech would be duly weigiied in Hankow. The Labour Party’s position was clear. There was no dispute about the. negotiations. The dispute was upon the despatch of troops. The Government policy began with defence, but it was bound to end in offence. The Government had taken as the first step what ought to have been the last step. Commander Locker-Lampson, in closing the debate, said the cause of the present ferment was the spread of the national desire to free China from foreign control. It was a genuine movement, although outside influences had intervened and were using it for their own purposes. There was no Chinese Government at present able to guarantee .the- safety of our people. Directly it was clear that there was no further risk the troops would be recalled.

Air. Baldwin, replying to Air Thurtle (Labour, Shoreditch), said there were 9300 British residents in Shanghai. The total number of Britishers resident in China was 15,247. It would not be in the public interest to give the details of the armed British forces at Shanghai available for the defence of the settlement. The troops would not be used unless an attack was made on British lives. If anyone was going to attack foreigners in Shanghai, it was not desirable that, they should know too many details of the defences.

Sir L. AYorthington-Evans (Alinister of War) informed Mr. Gillett (Labour, Finsbury) that the estimated cost of transporting troops to China was £645,000. Cfolonel Applin (Conservative, Enfield . “Are the troops now en route more than sufficient for the effective defence of Shanghai on a front of 16 miles ?”

Sir'L. AVorthington-Evans: “I think not.” compromise - possible. IF SOUTHERNERS WILL SUPPRESS COAIiAFUNISAL Received 11.5 a.m. to-dav PEKING, Feb. 11. Interviewed by a Japanese agency, General Yang Yu Ting, Chang Tso Lin’s chief of staff, said: “It goes without saying that Marshal Wn Pei Fu is on our side, but in view of a threatening section in Chekiang, the Fengtenites will advance on Honan in order to restrain the activities of the Southern forces.” Referring to General Ohiang Kaishek and the American proposal for neutralisation of Shanghai, General Yang-ku-ting remarked that if Chiang Kaishek would thoroughly suppress Communism in China it would not be impossible to bring about a compromise between the Northern and Southern armies. Regarding the American proposal relating to Shanghai. he said: “We are unable 1o approve of it.” CONTROL OF CUSTOMS. I? reived 10.5 a.m. to-dav. PEKING. Feb. 11. Sir Arthur A glen handed over the charge of the Customs and loan service to Mr Ediya-rdos to-day. It is understood that Sir Arthur, who intends to return to England, remains gazetted. and will he treated as Inspec-tor-General of Customs for the year.