RUSSIAN INFLUENCE FAILING.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 9 March 1927, Page 5

RUSSIAN INFLUENCE FAILING.

A CONFLICT AT ICHANG. n LONDON, March 7. Diplomatically, everything is quiet and uneventful at Shanghai. Reports received by the Foreign Office do not clear up the varying accounts of ihe military situation published in the press. For ( insiance, there is no confirmation of the report that the Cantonese have captured Soochow, which would cut off Chang- tsung - chang's communi|eations with Shanghai. All the evidence tends to show, however, that the Cantonese are very likely shortly to gain eontrol of Shanghai by surronnding it. The most welcome i'actcr from the British viewpoint is that an important seetion of the Cantonese led by General Chiang-kai-shek is weakeping in hostility towards foreigners, and openly atfacking the Soviet's propaganda on tbe ground that Communism would rn.ean the economic downfall of China and the ruin of the Nationalist canr.e, all of which confirms the official view that with patiencs Russian influence on the Cantonese will I soon paea. Meanwhiie, military I mnvementa have not caused alarm for tho Shanghai settlement. No organised attack on it by the Cantonese is feared. Shanghai's greatesl troubles • are caused hy repeated labour disputes all politically inspired- To-day an unfortuna.te fracas was reported from Ichang, where Chinese demanded the withdrawal of a British gunboat. When British naval men were engaged shifting baggage from an American to a British steamer, a Chinese mob attacked them, and one or two naval men and a few Chinese were ipjured in subsequent scrapping, but there was no shoot- 1 ing.