MENACE IN CHINA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19307, 21 April 1926, Page 12

MENACE IN CHINA.

RUSSIAN SOVIET INFLUENCE. DIRECTING BRITISH BOYCOTT. SERIOUS EFFECT ON TRADE. After serving for twenty-five years as a missionary iu China and latterly as director of the department of practical training at the Union Theological College '«it Canton, the Rev. George McNeur, formerly of Dunedin, arrived last evening by the IJlimaroa from Sydney. Mr. McNeur. who has been elected Moderator of the New Zealand Presbyterian Church, has now finished his missionary work. In an interview, he expressed tho opinion that directed by the Russian Soviet the anti-British .boycott in China has developed into a serious problem. "The boycott movement." he said, "is directed politically, economically, and commercially by a small group of Russian Soviet advisers stationed in Canton. '1 he Chinese claim that theso Soviet advisers are merely their servants, but there is no doubt that they exercise a great influence in the campaign. In addition, the Soviet has its officials directing the army, navy, and air forces. "The head of the Russian mission is General Borodin, a very capable man. Ho is directing the anti-British propaganda, and making it severely effective. These Russian officials have no regard for truth so long as they can hurt British trade and influence. If their propaganda were lifted I have no doubt the boycott would almost immediately cease because the people generally are not anti-British, nor even anti-foreign, especially the merchant classes, who, as a matter of fact, are friendly." Mr. McNeur went on .to speak of the bad influence the boycott was having on British trade, expressing the opinion that it would tie a long time before it recovered in South China.