TROUBLE IN CHINA

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1927, Page 2

TROUBLE IN CHINA

Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.]

AIR ALacDOXALD’S VIEWS. LONDON, January 24

Mr J. P. .MacDonald, writing in the

"Daily Herald” states: ” Everyone striving for a peaceful solution of the difficulties in China must read with considerable alarm the propaganda and information apparently officially issued regarding the military preparations. It invites the people to think and talk of war. It lias none of the quiet air of precaution but has a flamboyant demeanour of aggression. AYlio is responsible for the communiques? Can the Foreign Office justify them in relation to the liogotiiu.oiis in China, or do ibey represent one more attempt by the military to override and act independently of civil departments, and interfere with their policy. .1 suspect once again we are faced, with the problem of whether the military is to he the servant of the state or the state the plaything of the military.’’ A CORRESPONDENT'S CRITICISMS LONDON. January 24. “ 1 have spoken to authorities from Miles Lampson and Changtsolin down to rank and file of the northern armies,” states the correspondent of the “ Daily Express,” in n special despatch from China, “and in consequence J ant forced to two conclusions. Firstly, in view of the unexpected reverse suffered hv northerners one hundred miles south of Shanghai, very serious development may lie expected momentarily in Shanghai: and, secondly. open conflict on a wide scale between north and south cannot long he deferred. Meanwhile all Britishers are being hurriedly evacuated from Intcrigre. It is practically impossible to secure accommodation on the railway, owing to extensive movements of troops towards Hankow, Nanking and Shanghai. They are fully equipped for winter with sheep-lined great coals, cnt.skin helmets, rifles, bayonets, bandoliers and cartridges. They sleep almost atop each other in restaurant ears and in corridors from Manchuria to Peking and Shanghai. I saw miles of soldiers with all the accoutrementts of- war, and officers in uniforms of every conceivable mode and colour with pistols dangling from their belts, arc as numerous as soldiers. The concensus of oniuion of foreign commercial men is that no business can he stabilised until the issue of foreign powers and various factions of Chinese is settled conclusively, once and for all.”

A XT r-FORETON AGITATION. PEKING. Jam. 25

An agitation against the Catholics in the city of Amov (an important port) continues. The Chinese there have exhumed seven bodies of babies owing to alleged mutilation by Catholics. An anti-British agitation is developing in Amov Ami Swatow. All the American missionaries uncountry thereabouts have temporarily abandoned their quarters and have noil o to Sw alow. DUNEDIN. Jan. 25. Rev. IT. 11. Barton, .Secretary of the Presbyterian Foreign AFission Committee. stated to-day that missionaries were not being expelled from China. Their withdrawal v,vis part of the general withdrawal of the British nationals. The position was that the Imperial Government desired a free Lind in the event of being driven to war. Tho Church had direct evidence that the general attitude of the population in the churches’ own district was friendly, and the Chinese church authorities desired missionary co-opera-tion.

HANKOW CONVERSATIONS. LONDON. Jail. 25. 11, is staled that the conversations continue between tho British representative, Air O'Mai icy. and Air Eugene Chen (Canton Premier) at Hankow, but that so far they have been without result. PEKING. Jan. 25. A wireless message from Hankow states that tho banks have opened without incident. LONDON, Jan. 25. AVith tho publication of the photographs of crowds cheering the troops, also lengthy cables and details of the military and naval movements, the newspapers are now strangely reminiscent of war-time.

It is again emphasised officially that the measures taken arc purely precautionary, being the outcome of the Govenimentjs resolve to protect the lives and property of British people.

GENERAL DUNCAN SAILING. LONDON, Jan. 25

Alajor General .John Duncan. who has been selected as the Defender of Shanghai, has had considerable experience in little wars. The "Telegraph” says: General Duncan is an ideal leader for citizen troops. His unconventional methods have a minimum of drill, but they lay maximum stress upon initiative, which has made the Fast Anglican Division the best trained division in Britiin’s Territorial Army. General Duncan lias also .shown tact in getting on with other nations and Governments. He also will he a guarantee against any clash which coolness and tact may avert.

General Duncan left Loudon at midnight for Liverpool, to hoard -a liner for the Far Mast. LONDON. Jan. 25.

General Duncan lias had experience in little wars. Viscount Oort, a Victoria Grosser, will he one of his brig .id id's. 'The Second Coldstream Guards will bo commanded by another Y.C., Colonel John Vaughan (“Tallyho”) Campbell who led a critical ch.trge in the Battle of the Somme by means of the hunting horn.

MORE TROOPSHIPS. LONDON, Jan. 24

The work of transforming the steamers “Kilfaims Castle” and "Kikloni‘:in Castle” into troopships is now practically complete. They are expected to sail this week. The Peninsula Company’s liner Assaye. which is the veteran among the troopships, she having seen service in the Boer and Grtrit Wars, is also expected to sail this week.

LABOUR PARTY OPPOSE. SYDNEY, Jan. 25. Air Charlton, the leader of the Federal Labour Party, said to-day that the Labour Party are strongly opposed to intervention in connection with China's internal affairs, and will strenuously oppose any action being taken to commit Australia to a foreign vnr. AIKLBOURNK, Jan. 25. The Victorian Branch of ihe Seamen's Union, at a stopwork meeting, agreed to a resolution tint the members of the Union would decline to man any ships carrying soldiers, or troops acting against the Chinese. It was declared by the speakers that another war is threatened over the Chinese position, and that seamen should take the lead to prevent Austsalia from participating in such war.

AIINISTEIUAB STATEAI EXT. WELLINGTON, Jan 25. The cablegram relating to the suggested offer of troops from the Dominions was submitted to the Acting-Prime Afiuisier to-day. Air Donnie Stewart stated that he had not heard of the matter. The question had never been discussed hv the New Zealand Government.

THE REASON WHY. AN OMINOUS NOTE. FEAR OF SOVIET AIOYE. [Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.] (Received this day at 10.15 a.in.) SHANGHAI. January 25. “The concentration of such large British naval and military forces in China is not the outcome of recent events at Hankow or the possibility of a repetition of the same at- Shanghai.” a responsible authority declared? “The

troops Britain is sending to the Far East are considerably more than Britain or any other power requires to suppress an anti-foreign agitation even if that nation is unsupported by others. One must therefore look elsewhere for the reason for sending an army to China sufficient to wipe out the Cantonese Nationalist army in a fortnight. The reason is Russia. British officials are silent- on the matter of policy, but Soviet troops movements in Eastern Siberia and on the -Manchurian frontier and Britain’s despatch of several infantry brigades and lank corps and War Office administrative staff, are not merely coincidental. The Chinese Nationalist movement is merely a Russian eye-wash and tho first stop towards a world revolution. Chiang-Kaishek, the Cantonese military commander in his Hankow speech, recently hinted at Soviet plans, saying that revolutionary movements wore afoot in other parts of the world, undreamed of by Britain.

Britain does not wish to interrupt the Chinese legitimate Nationalist movement now* under way. il it is confined to China’s boundaries, but China is a pawn in the hands of Russia, and an ideal revolutionary weapon. The Pacific’s peace is threatened. Korea. Japan. Philippines and India would immediately follow the footsteps of China in the event of the latter succeeding in overthrowing western influence. There have been ominous rumblings in tlie Indian community at Hankow and Shanghai since the Hankow events. Indians at Hankow attended an anti-British meeting and delivered anti-British speeches and promised to agitate for a sympathetic movement- in India.

At Shanghai. Indians form a considerable part of the municipal police. An anti-British Indian Society there is striving to cause a strike. White Russians here are flocking to the recruiting office for civilian volunteers, eager for an opportunity to strike a blow at the Reds. Hankowforeign hanks have opened business to tost the Cantonese authority that the situation is quiet.