CHINESE CRISIS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10314, 25 January 1927, Page 5

CHINESE CRISIS

FAREWELL SERVICES TO BRITISH TRUUi'S. PRESS SOUND NOTE OF ' WARNING. PRECAUTION 'STILL URGED. GRAVITY OF SITUATION CANNOT BE DISGUISED. (United Press Assn.—Copyright.)" (Received Jan. 24, 7.25 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 23. “Good luck in the naihe of the Lord,” Avas the Portsmouth . chaplain’s farewell wish at a special church parade attended by one thousand marines going to China to-mor-row. The First Devons at BlackdOAvn Camp attended a farewell service in vieAV of orders to be in readiness to proceed to China during the Aveekend. The announcement that British battalions have been ordered to China prompted newspapers to sound a note of caution.

The Daily Express says it is useless to disguise the gravity of the situation.

“The movements of troops and military and naval bustle,” it states, “have an unhappy familiarity. We hope nothing that is done Avill be done beyond the limits of precaim >n. The Avar spirit is an insidious thing. Every step uoav may bring a heavy reaction in a month’s time.?’

The Daily Herald (Labor) declares : “It all sounds uncommonly like growling of a most threatening kind. The plain duty of the Government is to say Avhat is in its mind.. The soldiers may be going to sacrifice their lives. They and the pubic are entitled to knoAV, not in vagtfe rhetorical phrases but Avith. the utmost clarity and piecision. The year 1914 showed that sabre rattling Avas no aid to pacific diplomacy.” A correspondent points out in the Daily Telegraph “that diplomatic steps have been under consideration some days and therefore should not be regarded as indicating any change in the policy, which is. distinctly ur.militaristic. it is to be hoped that neither at home nor abroad Avould there be misapprehensions concerning the call to reservists. They are merely required to bring up battalions 1 _« their strength. The despatch of military reinforcements of these dimensions to the Far- East is admitted to be an important move, but it would be a mistake to regard them as a grave step.” The Daily Chronicle says that to make anything in the nature of a big parade of military force Avould be dangerous provocation.’ It is one thing to despatch a strong force of marines to Shanghai, but when Ave hear of numerous battalions being ordered to prepare, Ave can only suppose that influences are at Avorfi Avithin the Government, intent upon ruining the plans of the Foreign. Office. It is only fair that our diplomatic representatives in China should be given the opportunity of showing the Chinese that avo mean Avhat we say, namely, that our intentions are peaceful.”—A.N.Z.C.A.

UNDER ORDERS FOR. CHINA

TWO FURTHER BRITISH REGIMENTS. LONDON, Jan. 23. The First - Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire First Regiments at Malta liat'e been ordered to be ready to proceed to China. Officers on leave have been ordered to rejoin.—A.N.Z.C.A. ACTIVITY AT YORix. SEVEN BATTALIONS STANDING BY. (Received Jan. 24, 8.50 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 23. There is great activity at York, the headquarters of the Northern Command, Avliere four battalions are under orders, comprising the Thirteenth Brigade Mobile Force, unattached to any division, .and the Green How - ards, avlio only recently returned alter long service in the Far East.

A total of seven battalions apart from marines is uoav standing by. — Sun.

BRITISH TRADE TO RESUME A. HANKOW. “A GESTURE OF CONFIDENCE. SHANGHAI, Jan. 23. The decision of the British Chamber of Commerce at Hankow that British banking and shipping companies and merchants should resume trade on January 24 Avas reached alter consultation Avitli Mr O’Malley. It Avas felt that this would be a gesture of confidence in the Chinese and would assist in creating an atmosphere favorable to the negotiations m regard to the British concession" uoav in progress.—A.N.Z.C.A.

DAMAGE AT SIANGTAU. ANTI-CHRISTIAN AGITATION. SHANGHAI, Jan. 23. Advices from Siangtau, in Hunan province, state that there was a oig anti-British parade there on January 16. The mob fired the Asiatic Petroleum Co.’s installation and the tiro destroyed 2000 tins of oil and the company !s buildings. An anti-Christian agitation is rampant. Many chapels'were seized and stripped of the furnishings, while Bible tracts were torn up.—A. ana N.Z.C.A. JAPAN WILL NOT HELP BRITAIN IN SHOW OF FORCE. SITUATION NOT ADMITTED CRITICAL. (Received Jan. 24, 11.10 p.m.) ■ TOKYO, Jan. 24. Japan declines the British suggestion to co-operate in a show of force in China, refusing to admit that the situation is critical. The Government believes that a battleship and a cruiser at Shanghai and several gunboats and destroyers on the Yangtsze are sufficient for any probable contingencj 7 . No special oiders have been issued to the Navy, and no consular warnings have been given to Japanese nationals. —A.N.Z.CtA. FOUR JAPANESE DESTROYERS FOR SHANGHAI SITUATION NOW MORE THREATENING (Received Jan. 25,1.30 a-.m.) v TOKIO, Jan. 24. The Navy Department announces the despatch of four destroyers 101 Shanghai to-day on receipt of word of a more threatening situation. — Sun.

ANTI-FOREIGN OUTRAGES AT FOOCHOW (Received Jan. 25, 1.15 a-m.) PEKING, Jan. 24. Further reports from Foochow re--veal many anti-foreign outrages, . especially towards religious institutions arid! wholesale looting by soldiers or the southern* army., Fifty more Americans have been sent to Manila by the gunboat. Two American doctors were severely beaten in the Foochow streets. Two ladies were attacked in a Church of England school and driven into the street and most of 4 their clothes ripped off. . They were surrounded by an infuriated mob but managed to e-scape by the South Gate, ultimately reaching the Catholic foundling home. Later they were escorted to the foreign settlement of Nautai.—Sun.

WAR ON BOLSHEVISM

CHANGTSOLIN MAKES NORTHERN POSITION CLEAR. • NOT FIGHTING SOUTHERN CHINA. BRITAIN’S MORAL SUPPORT HOPED FOR. (Received Jan. 24, 9.20 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 24. The Daily Express Peking special correspondent at Ketchum intervieAved Marshal Ohangtsolin, who said: “We in Northern China are not Avaging Avar on Southern China, but avo are engaged in a struggle against Bolshevism. We have 8,600,000 to 10,000,060 men under arms, and avc earnestly hope*for the moral support and the encouragement of Britain.” The Marshal is a Avizened little hgure, sft sin., and far from the Mussolini stylo of man, but his narroAV black eyes glinted Avith the fire of grim determination when he received the correspondent in one of the Emperor’s palaces in Manchu City.. Ohangtsolin continued: “We are determined to Avipe out all Russian undesirables. We haA r e the fullest evidence that the Bolsheviks are supplying Nationals with munitions and funds, and Russian schools are springing up everyAvhere in the south. The British Government should realize it is futile to negotiate Avith Chen.”—A.N.Z.C.A.

DECLARATION by national GOVERNMENT RECOVERY OF CHINESE INDEPENDENCE SOUGHT WILL NEGOTIATE WITH POWERS ON ALL QUESTIONS (Received Jan. 25, 12.5 a.m.) PEKING, Jan. 24. The Nationalist Government at Hankow has issued a- * declaration stating that the British and other PoAvers’ declarations of policy regarding China assume that China is not able to look after her own interests, but this is not true of Nationalist China, Avhich is strong, and consoious of its poAver and its ability to enforce its Avili by economic moans on Chinese soil against any Power. Tlie dominant aim of Chinese Nationalism is the recovery of China’s full independence, until Avlien there can be no real peace between Chinese Nationalism and British Imperialism. The nationalist Government while asserting and enforcing Chinese authority Avill not disregard consideration and right of justice due to foreign nationals. Effective protection of foreign life and property can no longer rest on foreign bayonets and foreign gunboats. lloavever, tlie Nationalist Government believes that tlie liberation of China from the yoke of foreign Imperialism need not necessarily involve any armed conflict, for the reason that the Nationalist Government prefer to have all questions outstanding settled by negotiation. It declares its readiness to negotiate separately Avith any of the Powers for a settlement of the treaty and other cognate questions on the basis of economic equality and mutual respect for each other’s political and territorial sovereignty. —A. and N.Z.O.A.