BETTER RELATIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 238, 5 September 1928, Page 6

BETTER RELATIONS

BRITAIN AND CHINA. MISSIONARY’S STORY. (By Telegraph—Special to Standard.) AUCKLAND. Sept. 4. Bringing news of the greatly improved relations between Britain ana China, and of tho hopeful outlook tor the future, Miss Annie James, a New Zealand Presbyterian missionary with 10 years’ experience in the Canton district, returned on furlough by the Ulimaroa to-day. . Miss Janies has specialised in maternity and child welfare work and her work has been chiefly in connection with the Kong Chuen Hospital, twelve miles north of Canton city. For about two and a half years after the boycott of 1925, stated Miss James, tho conditions were very bad, and popular feeling was strong against the British residents and British goods. The crisis camo with the terriblo Bolshevik outbreak just before last Christmas, when hordes of Communists, led by Russians, swept down upon Canton city and committed fca r " fill excesses. Plunder and slaughter were engaged in without restraint, and tho whole streets were burned. Warning was given to the British citizens in time for them to seek safety, but Miss James was allowed to stay on at Kong Chuen. As a matter of fact, that district is “anti-Red,” and the work of the mission was not interfered with at that time.

Retribution came swift and powerfully upon the Communists, who were expelled from the city by the Nationalists with great slaughter. A number of Russians were executed, and ifheir power for the time being, at anv rate, completely broken. From the time of the expulsion ,of the Bolshevik leaders daces the improvement of the Chinese relations with Britain. There still remain a few Russians to carry on their intrigues, inspired by bitter hatred of Britain," but just now their power for evil is small. The long boycott of British goods is steadily passing away and British wares are to be seen everywhere in the markets.

.Recently there lias been a strong bovcott of ..Japanese goods, but just before Miss James left there were signs that this was about to be lifted.