QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17166, 24 March 1927, Page 5

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. LONDON, March' 22. Mr Baldwin referrcd to the stipulation in Shanghai in the course of a reply to Mr.. Ramsay MacDonald in the Commons. He said that a general strike for three days had , been declared in celebration of the Nationalist victory and was not an anti-foreign gesture. It included public utility workers. When the Punjabis were procecdings to their posts in motor lorries they were attacked by gunmen. One Sepoy was killed and another seriously Avounded. The assail'ants escaped. A state of emergency had been declared hy the municipality and naval and military forces had been allotted for purposes of int*ernal security at the request of the municipal authorities and armed guards had heen provided for foreign property on municipal roads beyond the cordon. Royal Marines had landcd on the river front opposite Shanghai. Mr MacDonald: "Where the Punjabis attacked inside or outside the settlement?" Mr Baldwin. "I believe they were inside the cordon, but outside the international settlement." Mr Garre-Jones asked: "Is there any form of diplomatic contact with the Cantonese?" Mr Baldwin: "The Consul-Gene-ral of Shanghai is in constant touch. Colonel Ward has a reprcsentative who is likely to gct in touch with either side. and has plenty of funds. That ?s the best wav of settling anv maicr." Mr Crawford: "fL; Diere heen

) Mr Baldwin: "That entirely depends on whai you mean by threat. 1 You must remember that the settlement is seething with mobs that may hecome out of order." Replying further, Mr Baldwin said that in such a kaleidoscopic situation one had to get into diplomatic touch with whoever one could.