SHANGHAI CALM.

Grey River Argus, 28 February 1927, Page 5

SHANGHAI CALM.

BEFORE THE STORM. More Forces Arrive. TO OPPOSE CANTONESE. (Rccxl. F0b..,27 jit 5.5 p.m.) SHANGHAI, Feb. 2G. Chinese troop trains continue, to arrive here. The staff is expected tonight. The situation in the International Settlement and immediately outside is quiet. The British troops stationed here have created an excellent impression. The Chinese are disillusioned from the belief that the* soldiers would loot and oppress them, and grudgingly acknowledge that they are now ’setui-p front the rabble of which their own troops are- laijgely composed. The Brii sh troops here are to-day “in the line.” That means that they are occupying a defence line outside the International Settlement boundaries. The maintenance of this line is regarded aS indispensable for fhe defence of tin* city. This action Was taken on the ieqttest. <>f the International MuniMpal Council,; made in view of the situation which is being (-rented F»y arrivals of an increasingly large number of Chinese troops from Ihe Xoi’th. 'I he defences of both fhd foreign settlements, on their actual boundaries, are being further strengthened. It is expected that American and Japanese quotas for defence will be “in line ’ ’ Soon. ••• i 1 ’ ■ The Italian forces are occupyiirg the Italians’ particular sector. The Shantung (Northern) troops, who have a bad reputation for behaviour, are more truculent than Sun (’liuaii Fang’s Shanghai men. and already there trave beeli claslj.es between the two on the Settlement border. So far they have not been serious, but .they foreshadow iinpleashnt possibiliI ies. About four thousand foreign nationals reside in an area that is occupied by the British ttoops outside the Settlement proper. Heavy rain has bee'll falling all day. and most of the country is a quagmire. The general situation is eompir lively quiet.

Foreign Forces.

MOBILISE AT SHANGHAI. DEKIN, Feb. 25. As the result of a new development overnight, British, French, Italian and Japanese forces at nohii to-day mobilised, and’threw a cordon round the foreign settlements twenty miles in circumference. It is believed that disruption between Sun Chuan Fang and (’hang Hung Chang (Northern leaders) has caused the elnergency measure. The American forces have not yet landed. The labour situation at. Shanghai to-day was virtually normal, only eight tin n .and being still on strike. The Post Office is functioning as usual l»ul those who did not join the strike are threatened with death so soon as the Nationalists reach Shanghai. Simultaneously with calling off the strike, a one day general strike was staged at Hankow. There were many ■a; -;e demonstrations, crowds processioning through the British Concession. Ihe day passed off without incident.

NATIONALIST ENVOY. VISITING JAPAN. (Received February 27 at 5.5 p.m.) TOK.IO, February 25. Mr. Taotien Chua, a Chinese National Ist Delegate, has arrived here. He was warmly greeted by hundreds of Chinese students. In an interview he said that two thirds of China is now controlled by the Nationalists. Therefore it was time for the Nationalists to reach the tallest understanding with Japan. IL: was not seeking the recognition of Canton. He only desired to impress .Japan with the Nationalists’ future policy of friendship. He declared that the recovery of the concession at Shanghai v ould be secured by peaceful methods for the foreigners. Air. Taoten (’hua added that Ihe Bhi ish had killed 2,500 Chinese at Wanhsien, but the Chineses did not kill any foreigners at Hankow. A QUEER METHOD. OF DEFENDING FOREIGN INTERESTS. LONDON, February 25. The Foreign Office has issued to the pre.-s a declaration by the foreign diplo-, mafic body at Peking, calling on the heads of the contending armies to tak ' the necessary stops to avoid incidents which might force foreigners to take I action to defend the lives and propert.v of their own nationals.

The issue of this note is described by the Daily Telegraph’s Peking correspondent as a surprising new form ol diplomatic, procedure. It is adopted, he says, because a protest made in the normal way to the Chinese Foreign Office at Peking would be useless; but the correspondent clouwrs whether this new procedure will be effective. SHANGHAI, February 25.

The Consuls here have issued a declaration similar to that at Peking di reefing the Chinese leaders not to molest foreign lives or property in any of their operations, lest foreign powers should have to take active measures of defence. NORTHERN PROPAGANDA. SHANGHAI, February In the course of a proclamation General Chang Tsung (Shangtung Command er) now here, blames Communism for China’s chaos. He says he purposes the extermination of Communism. He refers Ito Chiang Kai Sh'k (Hie Canton Com-mander-in-Chief) as “a merciless robber and a brutal beast.” MORE FOREIGN WARSHIPS. HONG KONG, February 26. The American destroyer Pruitt and She Italian destroyer Muggia have gone to Shanghai.