GOVERNMENT DISCLAIMER

Northern Advocate, 22 June 1925, Page 5

GOVERNMENT DISCLAIMER

POWERS WHOLLY AT FAULT. (Received 11 a.m.) PEKiN, June 21. The Foreign Office Note in reply to the Powers' Note regarding the riots and anti-foreign sentiment in China states that the accounts of different incidents given therein do not accord with the local Chinese authorities' reports. The Note gives a legthy Chinese version of the recent occurrences. It says that in Hankow British volunteers suddenly opened fire on the unarmed crowd. The British authorities should assume full responsibility for their violent action.

At Ki.u Kiang, during an altercation between the policfe and a small number of workmen, lire suddenly broke out in the Taiwan' ' Bank. During the confusion and owing to the time occupied in putting out the fire slight damage was caused to sundry articles in the English and Japanese Consulates. Such damage was accidental. Regarding the killing of a British subject in Shanglffii,- the Note says he was outside thfe settlement, where the municipality had built roads without China's consent. The motives of the criminals had not been ascertained. It was regrettable, for the above reasons, that the incident had occurred. With the exception of the killing of the British subject at Shanghai all the incidents ha'd; "happened as a result of failure to obtain prompt and fair settlement of the Shanghai case. Their had never existed any anti foreign tendency. Sincc the Shanghai occupation the Government had issued mandates ordering the people to exercise selfrestraint and had instructed provincial authorities to maintain order. In view of the present circumstances the Government hopes that the Ministers of Powers will promptly settle the Shanghai case. Then the present indignation will be appeased and the excitement will subside. —Reuter,