THE WRONG WAY

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1932, Page 6

THE WRONG WAY

HOSTILITIES IN SHANGHAI. CHINA “ASKED FOR IT.” WELLINGTON, October 25. \ ; The feeliiig .among.. nr, Hong Kong is that China w,asl asking for it, but that Japan- set aboVit it in , the wrong way,” said the Rav. L. N. Watkins, a New- Zealahder who reached Wellington to-day after thrre and a half, years in the East. Mr Watkins who, with his wife and inf Ant daughter, was - a .n.'isseiTgc'r in the Zealandia from 'Sydney, is to become vicai ,tf rlororata, in- the Christc|iufch ddooer©. In Hong Kong Mr Watkins- was assistant- ’chaplain at St. John s edral, and was in charge of S's^’ t j T T Church, West Point, which had'about seventy parishioneis, ! t*-e majority ; being Eurasians. •Although the repercussions of the Shanghai hostilities were not felt heavily in Hong Kong life in the- latter city' wd-s disturbed by the trouble, Mr { Watkins told the “Dominion.” Tho , exodus of Europeans from Shanghai | 1 resulted in a .great increase in the European population of Hong Kong. The hotels mere crowded and it was difficult to obtain accommodation. “The Chnpei operations conducted by. tho Japanese were not looked upon 1 with approval by the Europeans,” he ’ said. “It o was. considered by nmst ■ people that in taking action against ‘ Chinese lawlessness ‘ and attacks on 'foreign nationals the Japanese.' had ; done” whnt. other nations wanted to I do,, but the feeling was,, and is,, the Japanese,, went too fain” . /t ; . . ’ There lvad been times hti.tija.panese .feeling 'ran high iu,..,iEfelS. Konsr. resulting in serious.rioting*.Mr Watkins continued. The authorities were ■ .obliged to take; et m in dealing with outbreaks, and out: side Mr- Wr-: kin’s own church 250 Chinese were killed in one day. T- e rohs were ch-rged by tlte A rgyll .'and Sutherland Highlanders. - The vclun- ' teer defence force mlso turned out, su-vnorted -by two armoured, car*. . i , About eightsian. months a,go Mr and >■ Mrs. AY,3thins, .had a.fu.rtbcf exp?r’et , <;h of the. danger to which, Eurcpeaps were exposed in disturbed areas. -' Acc,om- ! panied by a Gormtnent nu-rsirg sister j they had been-'.far a rickshaw rid©, : and they were about to dismiss the r ; rickshaws when, t’-e “hoys” refund to > take the nrmey offered, saying it was ‘ had. “There was a sniff © and I was knocked about bit,” sri-d Mr AV t kins, “but m the end we escaped by paying an exorbitant, fee*”