HANKOW.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18895, 10 January 1927, Page 9

HANKOW.

CHINESE HOLD CONCESSION. EVACUATION OF REFUGEES. BRITAIN'S ULTIMATUM. ,i.LI-FBISS AB6OtIATIO.V-LOrrIIK.HT., (Suffix V *■*■ übw " Boc, " ,osj "'SHANGHAI, January 7. prices received here privately from Urtko* that control of the Concession pi resumed by the British arc nnconfirmed. fl* latest naval wireless message fri Hankow, dated last night, states Z tke Concession h> »till in the i-nds of tho Chinese military. American women and children are BOff being evacuated. Six British riT er boats arc arriving to-morrow from Yang-tso ports with 500 refugee British women and children, evacuated from the stricken areas. The local British are arrangiug accommodation privately, firms carina for the families rf theif employees. The majority are anpty-hanaVl, having deserted their |OOMS and belongings at a minute' 3 loticc The river boats are returning to flinkow immediately after coaling, in cue of emergency. Britain's ultimatum is not, confirmed, but it is definitely known that Admiral Cameron, the Hankow commander, is seeking wider powors protesting that he is unable to handle the ittuatlOß with the means at his disposal. ' The cruisors Carlisle and Vindictive, from Honk Kong, are expected to remain below Hankow, due to the iow water, and send a combined expedition by gnnboats^ Jhe Nanking situation is temporarily quiet, owing to the unexpected success of the evacuation and the lack of resistance. (Sidwt "Sok" Service.) SHANGHAI, January 7. The reported restoration of Hankow k denied. WHAT OF SHANGHAI ? Uvstuut* *x» >•*• CASLZ 43S0CUM0X.) LONDON, January 8. Colonel Sraallwood, the Peking correspondent of tho "Daily Telegraph," states: "Special fears are expressed her* that.neither the Foreign Office nor the British public has realised the seriousness of the present situation. We hare lost Hankow Concession and with it millions of pounds. The occurrence was unthinkable three months sgo. In another three months we may be out of Shanghai, although it is unthinkable at present." 0,.: BRITISH POLICY. FRENCH COMMENT.

{iCttUUia AND V.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Bfceired January 9th, 5.5 p.m.) l\ PARIS, January 8. IT>« French Press is increasingly critical concerning the British policy is China. ;' "tfHomme Libre" wonders whether tta Cantonese extremists' brutality , till leftro Britain any option but Wpwe, which she is most anxious ,' k *»fd. The United States, Japan, ttfrmnoo have adopted a policy of W thst Britain finds herself K v'«M Confronting the Cantonese wave. P"i.ti2* M J B .**P anxiety is justified if; w hard to see how Briton the movement aiming at ■lS«rta»ol«on from China. ' KlfKr 1 009 because Britain's misKPgg* cannot' rellere other Powers of KtSlp.tJes of traditional solidarity in HffQf "Quotidien" says that Britain's flpEfffi "t "*• Fa*" East was rudely WMri she was compelled to BBJiW 'w flaa and evacuate the ■pPtt'Md children to Shanghai. R TiILURE OF NOTE. SfCWVBD WITH CONTEMPT." j fffftllifctAS usj, x , z- cABt, ASSOCIATION.) January 9th, 5.5 p.m.) Wk r. LONDON, January 8. S«SL tm ctitiei9es thß unusual of the Government's policy SfM/'Howing Post" considers that Note failed. As far as it JRJgtodad to placate the Cantonese 'mWm, been received with con?ftfflHs\ i while as far as it ! igawMMgaed to promote the unity of IllljjjgS? American policy it nothing. As far as the immeis concerned, if Shanghai fß|lß|w«w Hankow, we may bid goodIJBJEffi*' 1 * commercial position in China. be a calamity for which ■Pm™nlyfy never forgive any Telegraph'" states that never repudiated its to protect the legitimate in■gagS?** nationals, and that the countome clear sign that the ■STONfallowing matters to drift to ■jraß?' of onr place in the world. nM'JpNRT TO BE MADE.M|KPy^ HA > AND X.T.. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) January 7. WBljfiiflty Williams, Commander-in-■§|s£j* tie Asiatic Fleet, has been ■gaffi**** proceed in the flagship PittsP^S[*|W| l 'Manila to Shanghai to ob■lflfciffi.ffl o** 0 ** on conditions. H||jtf?l*W**l's opinion will govern Of ships accompanying him. HjjL "AN ACT OP WAR." HgSr^rS? tUr iXO il - 1 - CABLS ASSOCIATION.) January 9th. 11.5 p.m.) lil& .<*«. "LONDON, January- 9. IH 'Wni M '" T er's" Peking corresfS that most of the ■&||jjS3; **» agreed to regard as an Bis£3xS? any threat against the K^P2fiJ ore 'K n settlement similar to ft Hankow. Washington to participate to the exits nationals.

"AFRAID TO FIGHT."

WHAT CHINESE THINK OF BRITAIN. (AD3TEALUN . A»D N.l. CA»L« ASSOCIATION) SHANGHAI, January 7. The news of the taking of the British Concession at Hankow by Chinese soldiery was received here with consternation, as it was always understood that the British Government intended to defend life and property in the British Concessions. It is believed that the situation which confronted the British authorities at Hankow on January 4th would never have arisen had the Nationalist Government been convinced that the Concessions would bo defended. The knowledge that the defences were weak, and that shooting by the British was improbable, encouraged the extremist wing to make a bid for the control of the Concession, with the aid of a carefully-worked-up mob.

The uppermost feeling of the British people here is a profound lack of confidence. They are depressed and discouraged by what occurred at Hankow, and its implications. Full accounts of the triumphs of the mob, and the intense anti-British feeling, appear in the Chinese newspapers. It is no exaggeration to say that British prestige among the Chinese was never lower than it is to-day.

Ee'ports from Hankow hourly fail to show any decrease in the gravity of the situation. Bather, they emphasiso the completeness of the British overthrow, however temporarily. Tri latest dispatches state that the British Flag no longer flies over the Consulate) and the Consul is virtually a prisoner in his own Consulate, which is guarded by Chinese soldiers. Those British who have not yet evacuated dare not enter the streets, and are hiding in the principal British buildings, which are picketed by Chinese troops. The Custom House has ceased to function. The British Concession is governed \by a committee of Ave Kuo-mintung members, who have issued a proclamation announcing that the Concession no longer belongs to Britain. The first anti-British demonstration on Monday was accompanied by bloodshed, according to delayed reports. It is believed that this caused Tuesday a riots, and resulted in the abandonment of the Concession. Public meetings are held daily here, informing labourers that the British Marines at Hankow killed and wounded several lecturers in a bayonet charge, and this is borne out by Japanese news agencies. The British cenotaph at Hankow is unrecognisable under a coat of propaganda posters and anti-British handbills. Several British administrative buildings have been partially destroyed by the mobs, despite the promise o the military authorities to control the American destroyers are sailing at top speed tor HanUou. As a result of the evacuation of the na tionals, it -appears that the extremists, having'overthrown the British are now Erecting their attention to other nationals as predicted. , It is significant that say that Britain gave up Hankow be Sse she is afraid to fight China, which is really believed by the Chinese to be S n Important weapon of the: a£W«j Outlying missionaries are hastening to the Yaugtse for protection. Eu * ene s*&*££ to h diJS d £s ed % ? R a wUh% rinSfar object was a confidence. -