THE CHINESE TURMOIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19994, 11 January 1927, Page 9

THE CHINESE TURMOIL.

AN OMINOUS SITUATION.

EXTREMISTS INTOXICATED WITH SUCCESS.

WAVE OF ANTI-FOREIGN VIOLENCE.

POWERS’ UNITED ACTION ESSENTIAL.

DANGER AT KIUKIANG.

Apparently the most grave item in the news from Ohinh to-day is that the scenes of anti-British violence at Hankow have been repeated at Kiukiang, with similar success. Kiukiang a treaty port on the Yang-tse, with a population of about 40,000, and is nearer than Hankow to Shanghai. It appears that events will compel the Powers to combine shortly in intervening in the interests of their nationals. It is pointed out that Britain is in a position to exercise powerful economic pressure throughout the Yang-tse Valley, and this is a hopeful factor in the £ situation.

(Press Association —By SHANGHAI, January 8. Ships are arriving from Hankow filled with refugees. All speak in high terms of praise of the restraint and forbearance of the British marines under prolonged provocation. All the Hongkong bank securities have been removed from Hankow. Advices dated Hankow, January 7, state that a steamer left for Shanghai the previous night carrying evacuated American women and children. All the administrative offices in the British concession are now in the hands of the Chinese, who control the police and municipal buildings. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has assured the safety of all foreigners. Advices of the same date from Japanese sources at Kiukiang state that Chinese crowds have occupied the municipal buildings and premises of British firms and private residences. The efforts of the Chinese troops to preserve peace and order appear unsuccessful, and the British concession is endangered. Though Japanese residents arc at present safe, fears for the future are entertained. The Customs officers took refuge on an American warship. A TWO-EDGED WEAPON. CHINESE HIT BY BOYCOTT. BRITAIN’S ECONOMIC POWER. LONDON, January 9. The Peking correspondent of The Times, recalling that the British developed the Hankow concession from a mud flat to the present very valuable property, in which millions are invested, points out that the Cantonese now realise that the boycott is a two-edged weapon. The closure of the banks and the cessation of business have dislocated trade, and are rendering idle tons of thousands of people who are demanding that the local authorities pay their wages while they are unemployed. The correspondent emphasises the fact that British banking, shipping, and commerce preponderates on the Yangtse, which will enable Britain to exercise effective economic pressure on the river port and other commercial centres for the purpose of bringing the Cantonese to reason. —The Times. BRITISH CONSULATE CAPTURED. UGLY SITUATION AT HANKOW. ANXIETY ABOUT SHANGHAI. SHANGHAI, January 9. . Passengers arriving from Kiukiang state that the Kuomintung flag has been hoisted over the British Consulate there. The Consul is aboard H.M.S. Wyvern. At Hankow the situation is declared to be unable to become worse. The principal British buildings are already looted and flying the Soviet flags, and are being used as the headquarters of the Labour unions and agitators. Refugees state that youthful Cantonese soldiers burst into their homes and ordered out the inmates —oven babies in arms—and placed red seals on the doors and refused to allow possessions to be taken. It is stated that the Chinese, not content with the recovery of the concessions, want to expel every foreigner from China. They are supported in this by the military, who declare that they are able, but unwilling, to control the situation, and are assisting the demonstrations. According to predictions the entire Yangtse Valley will be influenced by the Hankow events. The present wave of anti-foreignism and violence will not cease until it reaches Shanghai, but here it is not expected to reach the Hankow proportions, the stabilising influence being the Governor, Marshal Sun Chuan-fang, the auti-Red commander, who is now blocking the advance of the Red army 100 miles west of Shanghai. He is at present holding his own, and before he is defeated, leaving Shanghai open to the Cantonese entry, it is believed that the Powers will have arrived at an arrangement which is now lacking. American sentiment, hitherto favouring non-interference, is now stirred by the Hankow events. There are signs that the Chinese ex tremists throughout the country are becoming intoxicated with their success at Hankow. Tientsin, Peking’s port, though controlled by anti-Rcds. is showing signs of imitating Hankow. Similar reports elsewhere suggest that a second Boxer uprising is expected unless the Powers reach an understanding immediately. Britain cannot be blamed for her inaction. She has long been the scapegoat. The other Powers are now realising that they are equally affected._ Only a concerted demonstration is required to restore order. Bloodshed is unnecessary, judging by the Kiukiang events, as when two blank cartridges were fired by a gunboat in response to the Consulate signal the mob fled in terror. Yesterday’s refugees include many missionaries. It is reported that 100 missionaries and others at Ruling are cut off from escape by the Kiukiang events.

telegraph—Copyright.) Definite action by the Powers is not expected until all the interior residents have reached safety, the Powers fearing reprisals, but intervention appears inevitable. JAPANESE COMMENT. UNFAVOURABLE TO BRITISH MEMORANDUM. TOKIO, January 8. The morning papers further comment unfavourably on the British Memorandum. “Britain’s attempt to court Chinese favour will most probably fail” is the verdict of the Chugai, which reflects tiie attitude of the Japanese press as a whole. The Chugai considers that the, proposals are dictated by selfish motives, which, besides being unfair to the oilier Powers, are transparently insincere, and are likely to harm, rather than to improve, British relations in China. JAPAN WILL “WAIT AND SEE.” TOKIO, January 8. The Impression is growing here, both in Japanese and foreign diplomatic circles, that America is about to sever diplomatic relations with China, adopting the same attitude regarding treaties and debt obligations as in the case of Russia. The Foreign Office intimates that Japan will wait and see the American attitude before answering the British Memorandum, although W ashington’s position is unlikely to lie definable before the return of the American Minister from China, who is expected here on January 24, en route to America. While here he will consult Baron Shidehara (Minister of Foreign Affairs). —Sydney Sun Cable. BELGIAN REPLY TO MEMORANDUM. BRUSSELS, January 9. The newspaper People understands that the Government has sympathetically replied to the British Memorandum to China, but is opposed to any proposals resulting in the reinforcement of the northern military leaders against the Cautoucse. POSITION AT HANKOW. A FEELING OF EXPECTANCY ' INTENSE ANTI-BRITISH SENTIMENT. SHANGHAI, January 10. (Received Jan. 11, at 0.5 a.m.) Things are now quiet in the British concession at Hankow, but there is a feeling of expectancy as rabidly antiBritish sentiment still sways the native city. A similar feeling is reported to prevail at Kuchang, where anti-British demonstrations have been held. Trade at Hankow remains almost at a standstill. The authorities have removed all offending posters. The local newspaper expresses the popular view of the position that the Nationalist did right in taking back the British concession, seeing that the British authorities were incompetent to protect British subjects. SOVIET ANTI-BRITISH PROPAGANDA. LONDON, January 9. The Riga correspondent of The Times states that the Soviet, fearing an improvement of the Anglo-Chinese relations, is issuing daily statements exposing Britain’s subtle attempt to hoodwink the revolution with the Memorandum.—Tro Times. RED GENERAL SECEDES. DISGUSTED WITH BOLSHEVISM. LONDON, January 10. (Received Jan. 10, at 8.5 p.m.) The Daily Gazette’s Shanghai correspondent reports the secession of the Red General Chang Chih Cha, known as “the Flaming Evangelist,” from the Northern Kuo Min Chun army. He is so disgusted with Bolshevism that he lied to Poking, where lie betrayed Feng Yu Siang’s plans to Marshal Chang Tso Lin. —Sydney Sun Cable.