QUESTIONS IN COMMONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 1, 1 July 1939, Page 9

QUESTIONS IN COMMONS

BRITISH INTERESTS

NO CONFIRMATION OF SOME REPORTS

(British Official Wirelett.) (Received July 1, 11.30 a-m.) 1 / "

RUGBY, June 30. In the House of Commons Mr. P» . J. Noel-Baker (Labour) apked the - Prime Minister about die Japanese action at Swatow in preventing the. British ships Seistan and Kwangtung from entering the port and in occupying Messrs. Butterfield and. Swires's wharf and hauling down the British flag, and also about the declaration of the. Japanese- com-; mander at Tientsin that the blockade of the concession will be intensified* ,

The Foreign Under-Secretary, Mr. , R. A. Butler, who. replied, said: - ; "These two ships did not call at - Swatow, on the advice of the local British naval authorities. ~ Obstruc- '* tions have been placed in the neigh-. . bourhood of Butterfield and Swires** '■ wharf, but it has not been occupied. « The Foreign Secretary's reports do : r not confirm the accounts of the haul-v ing down of the British flag there, or of the statement attributed to the . Japanese commander at Tientsin.*'

Mr. Baker then, asked if Mr. Butler had seen a statement that booms had' been placed across the ports at Foochow and Wenchow and that v Japanese in Tientsin had stated that the concession would be completely ."•. closed as from Saturday.

Mr. Butler: I have seen the reports in the Press, but the Foreign Secretary has no official confirmation. of the . situation described by Mr. Baker /at Foochow and Wenchow. On the sub- , ject of Tientsin, as the House is aware, negotiations are to start in Tokio, and I have nothing at present to add to the statements which Mr. Chamberlain has- -:■ made oh the subject: '

Mr. Arthur Henderson (Labour): - Was it not well understood that while these negotiations were taking place there should be some relaxation rather than intensification of the blockade? . ;

Mr. Butler: Yes, but, as I have said, ' we have no official confirmation of the } statement attributed to the Japanese ' military commander. . ,