SITUATION IN CHINA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 45, 21 January 1928, Page 9

SITUATION IN CHINA.

IMPROVEMENT LAST YEAR,

BRITAIN’S PEACEFUL POLICY

STATEMENT BY SIR AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN.

Received January 21, 8.5 a.m. RUGBY, Jan. 20

Sir Austen Chamberlain, referring to the Chinese situation and the improvement during the last year, concluded by saying: “Wo stand by our policy of peaceful conciliation. V\ o cannot permit ourselves to be deprived by forceful actions of our treaty rights, but we are ready at any moment in a irenerous spirit to negotiate with anyone who can speak for the Chinese people and can take engagements in their name, and who can fulfil the engagements which they have taken in order to adjust the old treaty rights to the new position and give generous satisfaction to the legitimate demands of the Chinese for the development of their nationality and independence.”—British official wireless.

YANGTSE VALLEY,

MUCH MILITARY ACTIVITY

CITY PARTIALLY DEMOLISHED

Received January 21, 11.50 a.m. SHANGHAI, Jan. 20.

The Yangtse Valley is again teeming with military activity and Hankow is again erecting barricades in expectation of Communist uprisings. Taking advantage of the hostilities downstream before occupation by the military, several naval engagements occurred on the Yangtse. Chingling, above Hankow, was shelled by four Nationalist warships. The land' forces at Chengling replied with artillery during a three hours’ engagement and disabled one of the warships. The other retreated. The city is partially demolished. There were inestimable, casualties. —A. and N.Z. cablo.