LEAVING WEIHAIWEI

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21145, 1 October 1930, Page 7

LEAVING WEIHAIWEI

THE BRITISH COMMISSIONER. GENUINE SORROW AND REGRET. (United press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) SHANGHAI, September 29. . Amid scenes of genuine, sorrow and regret the British Commissioner for Weihaiwei bade farewell to, several hundred Chinese headmen prior to handing over the control to the National Government ; under the recent rendition of the agreement, by which Britain relinquished the administration after 32-years. Chinese spokesmen, on behalf of 2,000,000 residents of the territory, presented the commissioner with a silk ■scroll* requesting that it be forwarded to the'. British monarch as a token of thankfulness for the years of prosperity enjoyed under British protection. ■The territory of Weihaiwei was leased to Great Britain by China by a convention made on July 1, 1898, and lies in latitude 37-30 N., longitude 112.10 E. It is situated in the Chinese province of. Shantung, and comprises the island of Liu Kung, all the islands in the Bay of Weihaiwei, and a belt of land ten English miles wide along the entire coast line, with a total area of about 285 square miles, and a population of about 170,000 (1929), in which are included about 300 resident on the island of Liu Kung. In addition to the leased territory there is a zone which comprises that portion of the province of Shantung lying east of the meridian 121.40—an area of 1500 square' miles—within which Great Britain had the right to erect fortifications, station troops, or take any other measures necessary for defensive purposes. The winter is cold, but dry and bracing. The summer heat is not excessive, and the rainfall is, as a rule, small. At the Washington Conference, 1921-22, Great Britain offered to restore the territory to China, but! in the absence of a settled government in China the offer was, not then accepted. The government was administered by a commissioner. Weihaiwei is a port of call for steamers running to and from the North of China, and there is regular steam communication with the ports of Shanghai, Hongkong, Chefoo and Tientsin. °