SHELTER FOR BRITONS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 166, 31 July 1937, Page 6

SHELTER FOR BRITONS

(Britiab OfRcial Wirelese »

Billets at Legation at Peking MR. EDEN'S STATEMENT

f ■""* " BUGBY, July 29. At the request of the Leader of the Oppositipn, the Foreign Secretary made a statement on the Par Eastern situation at the end of question time in the House of Commons to-day. "Apcoxding to my information," said Mr. Eden, "fightihg, accompanied by artillery fire and aerial bombing of varying intensity, continued all day yesterday round Peking, mainly to the south and west. Japanese aeroplanes , were active outside the city. The withdrawal of foreign nationals into the Legation quarter stafted early in the morning and proceeded satisfactorily all day, although the greater part of the city was barricaded and circuifttion became increasingly difficult as the day went on. The majority ^ of the British subjects eiected to avail themselves of the opportunity to shelter in the Legation quarter, and most of them are now billeted in the British Embassy quarters. "General Sung Cheh-yuan has been asked to issue strict orders to the Chinese military and to the police to ensnre the safety of persons and property of foreign nationals insido the city. . "As I have previously informea the House, on my instructions his Majesty's Charge d'Affaires at Tokio has made representations to the Japanese Government xegarding the safety * of British subjects in Peking, and as a result I understand the Japanese Government and the local Japanese 'military authorities have given a certain assurance in this respect. His Majesty's Charge d'Affaires has also emphasised to the Japanese Government the serious nature ■of the situation and the grave dangers inherent in it. I would add that his Majesty's Government is contihuing to maintain close touch at every stage with the United S/tates Government and the other Governments concemed." Mr. Eden was asked a number of supplementary questions. He agreed with Mr. Attlee in einpliasising the seriousness of the situfition, but added that, so far as he was aware, no Government had asked for reference of the matter to the League of Nations. "As I explained yesterday," he said, "in view of tho special circumstances and the fact that ueither Japan nor the United Statcs is in the League, we are not prepared ourselves at present to take any initiative in the matter." Mr. Eden spoke of the extreme regret with which his Majesty's Government regarded the developments, in view of the hopes which it had entertained for an improvement in Far Eastern relations generally and which could not materialise so long as tho present conditions " continued.