CHINA CRISIS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16242, 17 January 1927, Page 5

CHINA CRISIS

MINISTERIAL DELIBERATIONS FIRST CRUISER SQUADRON IN READINESS (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Jan. 15. It was ascertained in Ministerial circles last night that the Government is in possession of further information from China. Cabinet will probably meet on Monday. Preliminary telegrams from Mr. O’Malley confirm the details of events in Hankow. They emphasise that the concession is not built like a fort and that the business premises are unsuitable for defence against seizure. If the marines had repelled the attack with rifle fire it would have inflamed the mob and endangered the remaining unr e m o v e d Britishers.

The Admiralty announces that Ad- ! lira! Try whitt, on the destroyer. Ctoran, arrived at Nanking yesterny and is proceeding to Hankow. J

The Admiralty announces that the first cruiser squadron, consisting of the Frobisher, Danae, Dragon, Dauntless and Delhi, at present in the Mediterranean, ims been ordered to be in readiness to proceed to China if required.

Sir Austen Chamberlain has cancelled his week-end visit to Sussex and is remaining in London to deal with messages from China.

ATTACK ON ORPHANAGE PEKIN, Jan. 15. A mob of students representing the Fukien Students’ Union, attacked the Spanish Dominican orphanage, vicarage and church near Foochow and drove out the Spanish sisters, and looted and wrecked the property. The sisters are safe in the foreign quarters of Nantai. The Spanish sisters and priests, except the bishop, are leaving port, to-day. Although 40,000 Nationalist troops occupy Foochow they did nothing to prevent the occurrence.

ATTITUDE OF HOLLAND THE HAGUE, Jan. 15. The Dutch Government, replying to the British memorandum on China, says that Holland is prepared to go as far as possible to satisfy Chinese aspirations. Shu agrees with Britain regarding the surtaxes, but considers the greatest, circumspection necessary in view of the Chinese civil war, and doubts whether the joint declaration of policy which Britain suggests is at, present advisable.

THE BELGIAN VIEW BRUSSELS, Jan. 14. The Belgian reply to the British memorandum regarding China was handed to the British Ambassador in Brussels on Tuesday. It. completely shares the opinion of the British Government that it is impossible to reluse entirely sympathy with the rational movement in China.

The Belgian Government, while confirming its immediate and unconditional adhesion to the granting of tho' Washington surtaxes and the British suggestions as regards extra-terri-’ tonality, is of opinion that the collective declaration suggested in the British memorandum in regard to the

policy to be followed toward China by the signatories to the Washington Treaty is at present neither oppor | tune nor possible, several Powers having already rejected the proposal. Moreover, 'it. is to be feared that, in the present frame of mind of the Chinese a collective declaration, however wide and liberal it might be, would create more distrust than satis-

faction and, any way, it would give rise to erroneous interpretations. Bel-

gium, however, wishes that, in the. osestablishment of government in China v;ith authority to speak in Ihe name of a sovereign and united people, Chinese national aspirations should receive the greatest possible degree of satisfaction by means of agreements willingly reached, which at the same time would assure all foreigners ot: Hie same treatment and the. same guarantees. CANTONESE REBUFFED - j LAST STRONGHOLD IN CHEKIANG LOST i j LOOTING AT NATAI ~ * ... I (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association, i (Received January 17, 12.35 p.m.) SHANGHAI, Jan. 10. j The Cantonese lost the l:ist stronghold in Chekiang by Setnehetanfang’s recapture of Ningpo. 1 , I The defeated forces are retreating to Fukien. 1 Despite a promise to the consular body, no protection was afforded to the'Dominican premises at Natai. The Spanish bishop’s residence in the foreign quarter, was looted and the Y.M.C.A., two mission churches, and certain mission residences were looted, also a British subject was robbed by a mob composed largely of soldiers. ... So far there have been no casualties. An anti-Christian mob threatens to loot churches in the foreign quarter ■ to-morrow.

THE SPIRIT OF CHINA

INTERPRETED BY CONSUL BOMBAST RESENTED

Mr. Li Kwring lleng, Consul in New Zealand for the Chinese Kepublic, njade a, statement in Wellington in regard to the assertions of a young educated Chinaman that the Chinese would “kick the foreigners out of China.” Mr. Li Kwang Hong says: Last evening I was constantly called to the ’phone by countrymen of mine, who were indignant at Hie "bombast of a young Chinese who ventured to express an opinion, which was said to be that of Chinese residents in China, particularly against the English True, the Chinese is a man of peace. He sees no wisdom in war. His pimciple is that disputes should lie settled by payment of compensation to the injured party. “The spirit which moves lain is the national ethic of filial duty, which calls upon him to pay careful attention to every want of his parents. It is obvious he cannot do this if he goes into battle and gets killed. The young Chinese who has not strayed from the moral code of his forefathers is taught that the nobler sort of man emphasises the

good qualities in others and does not accentuate the bad. The inferior sort docs the reverse. Also in private life the Chinese is taught to show respect to those in the management of affairs, to be attentive and thorough in his dealings with Others, to be honest and conscientious, and never to abandon these principles, even among savages. “Your young Chinese informant,” the Consul continues, “has evidently forgotten | the teachings of his fathers, and the best that can be said of him is that his silly statements must have been provoked by the equally sillv statements of the few New Zealanders who call themselves the ‘White New Zealand party.’ ”