NEW FOREIGN MINISTER.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 279, 24 November 1931, Page 1

NEW FOREIGN MINISTER.

Dr Wellington Koo Succeeds Mr C. T. Wang. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received November 24, 8.30 a.m.) SHANGHAI, November 23. Nanking officially announces the appointment of Dr Wellington Koo as Foreign Minister in succession to Mr C. T. Wangj who resigned in September following a brutal attack by students, who alleged mishandling of China’s foreign affairs against him. Dr Koo is regarded as the country’s foremost diplomat. Questioned regarding the proposal that a Neutral Commission should proceed to Manchuria to investigate the present dispute,. Dr. Ko.o stated that any suggestion without definite provisions for the early withdrawal of Japanese troops from Manchuria would not W accepted by China. JAPANESE MAY ADVANCE. Occupation of Harbin Possible. SHANGHAI, November 23. General Honjo, Japanese field commander in Manchuria, informed Press representatives to-day that he was perturbed regarding the situation at Harbin. He vouchsafed the opinion that possibly it would be necessary to occupy Harbin in order to safeguard the lives and property of Japanese. Authorities at the International Settlement took the first decisive step to-day against anti-Japanese pickets stopping the import of Japanese goods. A number of arrests constituted a bombshell hurled in the anti-Japanese and presaged a movement to suppress the boycott activities. NO FURTHER FIGHTING. (Received November 24, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, November 23. In the absence of Sir John Simon, who returned to Paris on Saturday night to take part in the further discussions of the Council of the League of Nations, the Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Captain A. Eden, anrwered in the House of Commons a question on the Manchurian situation. He said that his information was that since the occupation of Tsitsihar by the Japanese forces no further fighting had taken place. The League Council had sat in Paris for more than a week and it was using its best endeavours to find a basis for a solution of the problem.