OFFICIAL OPINION.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17167, 25 March 1927, Page 5

OFFICIAL OPINION.

CANTONESE COMMENDED. LONDON, March 23. There is a distinct tendency in official circles to commend the behaviour of the Cantonese in Shanghai. News received at Whitehall shows th,at the clashes in the settlement were chiefly caused by fleeing Shantung forces and stragglers, and not by the incoming Cantonese. Most of the trouble was due to the breakdown of arrangements. for the surrender and disarming of the Shantung forces. The regular Cantonese troops only reached the northern station of Shanghai yesterday. The rushes on the entrances to the settlement were all made by the Shantungites, whose flight was chiefly due to a desire to retam their 'rifles. The Shantung troops are notoriously the worst ruffians in China. When they saw that a Cantonese occupation was inevitable, numbers , fled with their rifles, which will probably enable them to establish businesses on their own account as bandits. A few Shangtungites were killed by rifle fire from British posts. Later 300 surrendered to the British and 1200 to the Japanese, stationed in Hongkow Park. Officials quarters welcome the passages in a manifesto by General Paighingsi, tbe Southerners Chief or Staff at Shanghai, in which he appe.als to the people to realise that attacks on foreigners will not help the Nationalist cause. The British and Japanese Consul-Generals and the chairman of the Chinese Charaber of Commerce are forming a deputation to the Cantonese commander to-day to induce him to put down sniping .and rioting hy bands of undisciplined civilian Cantonese supporters within the settlement.