CHINESE DEMAND

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18419, 27 June 1925, Page 15

CHINESE DEMAND

FOR REVISION OF TREATIES. CONSIDERING BREAK WITH BRITAIN. ! DEMONSTRATION KEPT IN ORDER. (EI CABLE— PRESS ASSOCIATION'—COPYBIGHT.) IREI'TZR'S telegeajis.) (Received June 20th, 8.0 p.m.) PEKING, June 26. It is announced that the Government is considering many demands for the severance of relations with Britain. Meanwhile the Foreign Office has sent Notes to the Treaty Powers demanding the revision of the treaties in the interests of national equality and permanent peace. PEKING. Juno 2-j. The demonstration which took place to-day was largo, and included students, merchants, workmen, Catholics, Protestants, and Mohammedans. Some banners were inscribed "Declare War Against England," and one of the slogans was "Death to the English Brigands." Nevertheless, there appeared to be less enthusiasm and excitement. Numerous Chinese troops' and police guarded foreign homes and shops and kept the parade under observation, but thero was no disturbance. Reports from Wu-hu state that the food boycott of foreign warships there continues. The Chinese- authorities are maintaining order. It is reported from Nungpo that the American gunboat McCormick has arrived, that older has been restored and that Chinese soldiers aro guarding the foreign quarter. At Amoy, Chinese and foreign authorities are co-operating and the situation is satisfactory. At Hoo-how tho situation continues to bo disturbed, while in tho other centres conditions aro unchanged, but there is general tensenoss. . SHAMEEN ATTACK. EYE-WITNESS'S STORIES. | MACHINE GUNS MOW DOWN CROWD. (Sydney "Sun" Seevice.) CANTON, June 25. An eye-witness of Tuesday's disturbances says: "Even little boys in tho procession jumped "about like Dervishes, drawing their hands across their throats and bodies, indicating what thev would do with us, and shouting in English and French, 'Kill tho foreigners!' "As tho procession passed the French Concession, which was well guarded, and came opposite the (English Concession, where thero was littlesign of preparedness, someone in the crowd fired two shots. Their soldiers immediately opened fire, which was thereupon returned." Ono'Shameen official states that the actual attack wa3 made by students, led by Russin Bolsheviks. Following! them were 3000 soldiers disguised as Yumianese labourers.

Almost immediately 20 carefully-f concealed ■ machine-guns opened fii'O upon tho mob, hammering at tho gates of Shameen, decimating them as they came forward. The mob reeled and fell, back in confusion, exposing innocent spectators behind them for a time to tho terrific fire, which had been concentrated upon tho actual attackers. After this ceased, sniping continued for some time, and then suddenly stopped. Evidence from all quarters is that it was not a peaceful procession, but a thoroughly organised military attack.

CHINESE BLAMED. DEFENDERS WITHHELD FIRE TO LAST. CHKUIIB'S TELIGK.IMS.) HONG-KONG, June 25. Tho Civil Governor of Canton, in a Note to tho British Consul-Ceneral, deals, inter alia, with tho shooting whiali occurred in the iShameen district. Tho Note states that the procession of Chineso liad almost entirely passed Shako street when soldiers and police in tho British -.Concession suddenly opened fire with machine-guns and rifles on the crowd in tho procession on the other side of the canal, whereupon soldiers and police in the French Concession likewise fired while the Portugueses gunboat fired big guns, killing and wounding over 100. "This brutal killing," says the Governor, "was premeditated and recretly planned. When I heard the particulars I was nmased, and was in duty bound to enter a most serious protest, as well as to Btate clearly that the entire responsibility for the affair rested T4p° a tno c i vi l an d military officials and upon the British, French, and Portuguese soldiers, and the police and tho gunboat concerned." Consul Saw Chineso Fire. The British Consul-General, in reply, points out that tho Portuguese gunboat took no part. It was the defence forces of the Concessions alone that replied to tho attack made on them by the Chineso on the other side of tho canal. "I can say from tho evidence of nvy own eyes," he adds, "that the firing was first started by the Chinese." The Consul-Gcnerol and the senior naval officer were present for the purpose of preventing precipitate action on the part of tho defenders, and he and tho nav'al officer only escaped with their Jives from the hail of bullets directed at theui by tho Chinese. It

■was only then, in self-defence, that fire was opened from Shameen and by the French forces, -which were similarly attccked. The Note repudiates the charge that the responsibility rests -with the. foreigners, and asks the Civil Governor to take complete measures to safeguard tho lives of British subjects around Canton. French Protest. Tho French Minister. iir;i Note, states that he regrets to bring to tho knowledge of tho Chinese Government that, following demonstrations at Canton on Juno 22nd, demonstrators and soldiers fired upon the British and French Concessions at Shamecn and a French merchant was killed by a shotfrom the Chinese Bund. The Noto adds: Reports from i' - commandant of the French naval forces make it clear that tho responsibility falls entirely on the Chinese. Tho Minister is consequently compelled to protest and to reserve tho right for the French Government to demand reparatiou.

AMERICANS' MESSAGE

I WASHINGTON ASKED TO HELP J POWERS. (beuteb'b teleqhams.) PEKING, Juno 25. The executive committee of tho American Association of China adopted thes following resolution, -which has been sent to tho Department of State, Washington, and the American Asiatic Association, New York: "That this Association urges tho American Government to enter into energetic co-operation with the other Powers in tho adoption of the strongest attitudo and representation to tho Chineso Government to suppress tho .present state of lawlessness directed against foreigners,, which, in our opinion, is duo primarily to tho longexisting unsettled political conditions aggravated by Soviet propaganda, and that China ho held strictly responsible for all tho losses of life, property and business incident to tho present situation ; and that absoluto observance of existing treaties is essential until modified through tho orderly process j provided by tho, Washington Conference. 1 '

LABOUR PROTEST.

USE OF AUSTRALIAN CRUISER. (Australian- akd x.z. caule A*sociatioN.) (Received Juno 26th, 7.10 p;m.) j MELBOURNE, Jiino 26. In tho Federal House-'of Representatives, Mr Brenuan (Labour) protested against the warship Brisbane being employed as part of a British squadron against the Chinese in a war which was primarily, industrial. 'The serious aspect was that the Ministry had allowed the Brisbane to bo transferred to participate in belligerent operations without informing Parliament. Tho Labour Party had always refused to allow tho Army and Navy to bo used in industrial disputes in Australia, and ifc certainly would not allow them to bo used in foreign waters in a fight against the Chinese proletariat. The Labour Party hnd tli6 deepest sympathy for the people of China.

Mr Charlton (Labour .Leader of the Opposition) supporting Mr Brenn&n, said tho Australian Navy had been created .for defending Australia, and not for interfering in tho internal affairs of another nation. If the British Government was responsible for .the Brisbane going to. Chinese- waters, then Australians should ask for her immediate withdrawaj. Mr Bruce (Prime Minister) replied that tho Brisbane Was sent under the exchange arrangement with tho British Government tp,/secure,her training.'" It was conceivable that a 'squadron Tiad gone to tho disturbed area to safeguard tho lives of British subjects.

N.Z. STAFF SAFE. CABLE FROM MISSIONARIES. (SPECIAL TO "THE X-pEBS.") DUNEDIN, June 20. In and about Canton, which is Otto of tho centres of the alarming unrest s » widespread at present in China, there aro 24 adults and about six children under the jurisdiction of tho Foreign Missions Committee of the' Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Most of these missionaries are well-known personally in Dunedin, and considerable anxiety has been felt for their position. To-day tho committee received tho following cablegram:—"All women and children, including Mrs Bastin and Mrs 'Machle, aoe eafe at Hong Kong." The staff at the Canton Villages Mission!' consists of tho Rev. Vj. H. and Mrs McNeur, Eev. H. and Mi's Davies. Rev. J. M. and Mrs McKenzie, Dr. H. B. and Mrs Turbott (nee Miss Arthur, of Dunedin), Miss Astbury (of Wauganui), Miss A. N. Yansen, Dr. John and Mrs Kirk, Dr. .E. W. ajid Mrs Kirk, Rev. A. L. and Mrs Miller, Rev. F. H. and Mrs Wilkinson (of Dunedin), Miss A. I. James (of Dunedin), Miss F. G. Ogilvie (of Wellington), Miss M. Findlay (of Auckland), and Nuroe It. Paul. Mr A. G. Wilson has probably left on his return to Australia, and Miss Ann Hancock, another .member of tho staff, has not yet returned from Dunedin to Canton. Mrs Bastin and Mrs Machle aro tho wives of missionaries belonging; to other missions. Mrs Ba.3tin was formerly Mi6s Naish, of Christ-church, and prior to her marriage was a memibor of the nursing staff. Mrs Machle was formerly Miss Jean Mawson, of Port Chalmers. Serious View of Trouble. 1 Sham?en, which means "sand flats," is a British and French concession right on the point of a bend in the river, and according to a recent message all the women and children have been sent r.way from Shameen for greater protection at Hong Kong. Just across tho river, at Fong Chuen, the Presbyterian Mission has two bungalows and a Etna!ll permanent staff, but the headquarters of the mission, with the hospital r.nd boarding schools, are at Kong Chuen, on the railway line, 13 miles north of Canton. There are others of the staff stationed in smaller outlvino; villages.^ Thoso well acquainted with China take a Very "view, of tho prc-

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sent outbreak. Tho sinister features of it, they say, arc its secrecy and its very widespread character. The last betters to hand from China indicated that affairs were perfectly peaceful, but this sudden outburst of antiforcigu violence must have been-long in preparation. There is said to bo every reason to believe that it lias been carefully fostered by German and sian agents. These nations do not possess separate concessions like the other European Powers, and for that very reason they aro more closely in contact with the Chinese people and .havo ample opportunities for secret propaganda. In the last fighting: about Canton the lives and property of missionaries were always respected by both the contending parties, but the great difference about the present situation is that while the other was a matter of internal strife, this is directly an antiforeign movement.