BRITISH POLICY IN CHINA

Taranaki Daily News, 9 April 1927, Page 13

BRITISH POLICY IN CHINA

NOT TO BE DRAWN INTO WAR. DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. (British Official .Wireless.) Rugby, April 7. ' During China debate in the House of Commons las. night Colonel Wedgwood (Labour) asked whether the policy of complete neutrality as between. the North and South in China, which had been observed by the British forces in Shanghai, would bo observed also as between any rival parties among the Nationalist forces. To this Sir Austen Chamberlain replied: “His Majesty’s Government has no intention of being drawn into the Chinese civil war. whatever form it may assume.” Replying to a Conservative member’s question regarding the Chinese propaganda of the Red International and the action hs proposed to take, in view of th© Note to the Russian. Government, Sir A. Chamberlain said appeals of the kinds referred to formed part of the ordinary programme of tho Third International, and recent events in China f had provided them with a fresh opportunity of endeavouring to mislead the opinion of the world by entirely false statements. Anti-foreign feeling in general, and anti-British feeling in particular, had undoubtedly been encouraged and stimulated from Moscow. The British Government did not think it expedient to take further action on the Note or the Soviet’s reply at present. The Secretary for War stated in the House of Commons to-day that the destination of the fresh brigade ordered to China was Hong-Kong. Mr. G. Loeker-Lampson, Under-Secre-tary for Foreign Affairs, said the question of the safety of British subjects in Peking was one of the main problems created by the existing conditions in China, which had been engaging the anxious attention of £he Government. He declined to make any further statement as to what steps were being taken. The message of thanks transmitted to tho British Government by foreigners in Shanghai for the "prompt and adequate measures taken for the defence of the international settlement” was signed by 3000 people, representing over 3xo nationalities. All the leading members of each colony were among the signatories, including Mr. Fossenden, American chairman, and Mr. Fanstan, Japanese member of the municipal council. The municipal councillors of the French concession were also among the signatories.

Commenting on tho agreement of the Powers concerned to present demands to the appropriate Chinese authorities relative to the Nanking outrages, the Daily News, says: “Great Britain is anxious to avoid aijy action of a kind to suspend indefinitely tho pursuance of its policy of conciliation in China, or to forfeit its future friendly relations with the Chinesc people. It is impressed with the need of convincing the so-called extremists in the Nationalist party that further experiments in violence will be undertaken at grave risk.