CHINESE TURMOIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19997, 14 January 1927, Page 9

CHINESE TURMOIL

SHANGHAI A STORM CENTRE. BRITISH CABINET ALERT. PACIFIC POLICY APPROVED. , JAPANESE PRESS COMMENT A COMMON SEN SE VIEW. (I’rex Association —By Telegraph—Copyright.) TOKIO, January 12. Though hitherto the press has refrained from much comment on the Yangtse situation, the leading papers are now expressing sympathy with Britain, whose perseverance and fortitude displayed at Hankow and Kiukiang are highly praised, and are considered to reflect British wisdom. The Asahi, which reflects the general attitude of the masses, urges the Cantonese to exercise more self-control, warning them that otherwise they will bring about united action by the Powers against China, resulting in Canton ultimately losing everything gained. A SIGNIFICANT MURDER. CHINESE FOREMAN THE VICTIM, j > SHANGHAI, January 12. A Chinese foreman of the Shanghai Foreign Settlement Tramways, while driving a rickshaw in a quiet part of the settlement, was attacked by three Chinese and shot dead. The assailants escaped. The victim was the man who, following the May 30, 1925, affair, did more than anybody else to get the tramway services resumed and to keep the Chinese workers at their posts. The authorities consider that the crime is more than ordinarily significant. It is known that the Reds have marked down for killing several key workers, whose opposition to the strike agitations stand in the way of their aims. The jiresent victim was one of these. DISORDER IN SHANGHAI. RIOT IN BRITISH COTTON MILL. WORSE TROUBLE EXPECTED. SHANGHAI, January 12. 4 The first disorders, presaging an era of unrest and the possibility of a general strike, occurred in a riot at a British cotton mill. They were no doubt instigated by Red agitators. Three thousand male and female workers attacked a handful of foreign overseers, and smashed the machinery, necessitating police reinforcements. Several officers were badly mauled, but fire hoses and a revolver display dispersed the mob after an hour s fight. It is expected that the trouble will spread to all the other mills, and that eventually there will be a repetition of the events preceding last year’s disorder, which culminated on May 30 with shoot - The authorities are j aware of a plot which is afoot to cut oft, the rice supplies from Shanghai. The Cantonese intend to throw a belt around the producing areas of the country, thus preventing the entry of rice to Shanghai, thereby increasing the discontent among the labourers and causing riots. The Municipal Council is recruiting volunteers to assist the naval forces and the police in the defence of the settlement. As a response to the Nationalist troops seizing American mission property at Sfiaowu and other parts ( ■' Fukien, the American authorities have ordered missionaries to leave in some places and to prepare for immediate departure in others. —A. and N.Z. Cable. CHINESE WANT PEACE. AUSTRALIAN PROFESSOR’S IMPRESSIONS. SYDNEY, January 13. Professor Griffith Taylor, who attended the Pan-Pacific Science Congress at Tokio, and then travelled through China, has returned. He says he was surprised to find how lightly the Chinese treated civil war. The people as a whole did not seem to care which side won, so long as peace came. The feeling generally was more anti-foreign than anti-British, except in the South, where most of the foreigners were British. The Southern Party, which Professor Taylor thinks will be the winning party with the slogan, “China for the Chinese,” is the strongest and the most popular party throughout China. CABINET MEETS. FURTHER REPORTS AWAITED. ANXIETY TO AVOID BLOODSHED. LONDON, January 13. (Received Jan. 13, at 7.55 p.m.) Air Chief-Marshal Sir Hugh M. Trenchard, chief of the Air Force, was summoned to yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, at which Sir Austen Chamberlain mr'’" a most detailed statement regarding happenings in China. The meeting lasted ninety minutes. A number of members were absent abroad. Most political correspondents affirm that no decision was reached, the Ministers awaiting a report from Mr O’Malley regarding his conversations with General Chen. The Daily Express, however, states that Cabinet gave approval to a pacific policy, the whole desire being that bloodshed shall be avoided. This is the first review of the situation since the Christmas holiday. Mr Baldwin felt that no further time should be lost in consulting with those Ministers available. It is understood that Mr O’Malley is not empowered to disenss treaty policy. He is instructed to seen solely to avert conflict. In the same issue the Express’s Shanghai correspondent reports that serious anti-British rioting lias broken out. A mob of 3000 Chinese workmen attempted to smash the machinery of two cotton mills, but were repulsed by foreign fire brigade men with hoses. —A. and N.Z. Cable. IMPORTANCE OF SHANGHAI. A KEY CITY. LONDON, January 13. (Received Jan, 13, at 7.55 p.m.) The Times points out that Shanghai is the key position both from, the Chinese and from the international point of view, and victory there for the Knomintung Government might prove decisive in the more difficult task of achieving dominance over Northern China. Moreover, the Customs revenue is greater in Shanghai than elsewhere, and this is naturally the object of keen interest to the political forces contending for supremacy. It is welcome news, therefore, that Cabinet is

alert. There may yet bo time to decide carefully tactics and policy. Already there are indications of the revolutionary propaganda which always precedes a Knomintung offensive ,being attempted in Shanghai.—The Times. FRENCH ATTITUDE. READY TO MEET AGGRESSSION. PARIS, January 12. (Received Jan. 13, at 7.20 p.m. ) Cabinet has decided to maintain a watchful policy in China, but at the same time it will be ready to meet any aggression. It is learned that active naval and military preparations are in progress in case eventualities should arise. A. and N.Z. Cable. MR O’MALLEY AT HANKOW. TENSION SOMEWHAT LESSENED. POSITION AT KIUKIANG. PEKING, January 12. (Received Jan. 13, at 10.45 p.m.) Mr O’Malley had a two hours’ conference with General Chen at the Foreign Office at Hankow. No statement has been issued, but the tension has undoubtedly lessened, and the British are now able to move freely around the concession. News from up the river indicates that the evacuation of foreigners from the interior is proving difficult owing to the general boycott, the result of which is that no boats or other conveyances or coolies are available; and many are compelled to walk. Foreigners arriving from Kiukiang state that Cantonese are stationed as sentries in the concession. A dozen foreign men remaining are distributed between the warships Scarab and Wyvern. They were able to reach saftey only with much j difficulty owing to obstruction from the mob. The British Consul managed to remove the archives before sealing the Consulate, which so far has not been molested. He is now living aboard a steam launch, from which the Consular flag still flies, the French Commissioner of Customs also functioning aboard the launch. Some thirteen foreigners, including women and children, are still at Killing, where they elected to remain, alt’ 'ugh advised to leave.—A. and N.Z. Cable. STRIKE AND BOYCOTT. REPORT FROM SHANGHAI. PEKING, January 13. (Received Jan. 13, at 0.10 a.m.) A wireless message from Changsha states that a general strike and boycott have begun. Arrangements have been made at Ichang to evacuate 400 British and 200 Americans from Sze Chuan.—A. and N.£. Cable. CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE. ANTIPATHY TO MISSION- ‘ ARIES. BRITISH RESOURCES AMPLE. RETURNED MERCHANT’S OPINIONS. (Speoiap to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, January 13. “Much of the antagonism -to the British on the part of the Chinese must, unfortunately, be put down to the missionaries. The Chinese welcome traders, but missionaries, however well meaning, they do not want,” said a British merchant who lias just arrived in Wellington direct from Hongkong, when interviewed to-day. The Chinese, he said, were amongst the happiest people in the world, and were quite content with their own religion. The merchant added that the Chinese fully appreciate the establishment of hospitals and such like institutions by the missionary and similar societies, but object to the attempts to force a strange religion upon the people. “We are inclined to forget,” he said, “that htc Cinese civilisation is thousands of years older than ours, and in many respects superior. It is infinitely better suited to the Celestial temperament than anything we can give in exchange. We would resent the intrusion into Britain of hundreds of the disciples of Confucius in an endeavour to convert the masses, and they resent our attentions just as much.” With regard to the trouble at Hankow, he expressed the opinion that this was largely due to the rowdy hooligan clement getting beyond control. We were inclined to exaggerate it, and to read into it a deeper significance than it really possessed, but for all that there was no doubt that respect for Britain had been lost, the general feeling being that Britain’s day was done. The old order had changed, giving place to the new. The coolie was no. longer looking upon the white man as his lord, to whom obeisance must be made, and whose slightest whim must he attended to, but to think that China was up in arms was to misread the situation entirely. Of her 400,000,000 population only a comparatively few thousand were under arms. They would fight for the leader who paid them most, regardless of the cause, and if it rained fhey would stop fighting. “That shows what a formidable military power they are. In my opinion, ns far as Britain is concerned, there will be no fighting,” remarked the merchant. “Not a shot was fired at Hankow,_ the reason for this being that the British were afraid of a general massacre elsewhere, but if the worst comes to the worst we can defend our Interests. It is not generally known that since October the mystery ship Hornier, wth her 35 seaplanes, has been in Chinese waters. One bomb from each plane would be more than sufficient to put an end to any rising, and to strike a wholesome terror into the Chinese heart. It docs not take much to scare them. A mob of 20 recently looted a British shop and took possession, but two bluejackets rowing ashore in a dinghy were sighted, and that was the last seen of the hostile mob. It subsequently transpired that the representatives of his Majesty’s Navy were but on a pleasure trip, but that shows the spirit of the rabble with which we have to deal.”