ASTUTE REPLY TO NANKING DEMANDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 21, 16 April 1927, Page 1

ASTUTE REPLY TO NANKING DEMANDS

WILY DEFIANCE

CHINESE WILL NOT SUBMIT CHEN ANSWERS POWERS’ NOTE Mr. Eugene Chen, Nationalist Foreign Secretary, has refused the demands made by Great Britain, the United States, Japan, France and Italy for reparation for the Nanking outrages. In his individual notes of reply, Mr. Chen has endeavoured to conciliate the Japanese. The text of the reply to the United States shows a conciliatory tone agreeing to make certain reparation in the meantime. An international inquiry is asked for to decide the question of guilt.

By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright Reed. 8 a.m. SHANGHAI, Friday. The Nationalist Government has replied to the identic notes from the United States, Great Britain, Japan, France and Italy protesting against the Nanking riots, by failing to agree to any of the demands. The reply proposed the appointment of an international commission to revise unequal treaties and investigate the Nanking affair. Mr. Eugene Chen, Nationalist Foreign Secretary, dispatched five different but similar notes to the representatives of the Powers at Hankow, in which he refused to admit the responsibility of the Nationalists for the attacks on foreign citizens and Consulates at Nanking.

Chen further called attention in the replies to Britain and the United States to the bombardment of ** the defenceless Nanking,’* and also of Britain and France to the bombardment of “ defenceless Shameen.”

The reply to Japan was more conciliatory.—A. and N.Z.

IRON METHODS

SLAUGHTER IN SHANGHAI ROUND-UP OF EXTREMISTS By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright. SHANGHAI, Thursday. What foreigners in Shanghai thought was an ordinary case of the shooting of extremists at Chapei, the native quarter, proved to he the most sanguinary slaughter in the Chinese struggle. Hundreds of Communists, who had evaded arrest, made a determined attempt to rejoin their comrades, whom the Cantonese troops had rounded up. They intended to take them supplies of arms and ammunition. Realising that the authorities were determined to shoot if the least provocation were given, the Communists attempted to rush the headquarters of the Cantonese under a screen formed by hundreds of women and children, including their own wives. These women and children the Communists pushed before them, thinking the soldiers would refuse to fire into the helpless mass. This hope proved to have been horribly unfounded. When the procession was within a few yards of the gates of the headquarters the soldiers opened a deadly fusillade. Twenty women and children fell dead and many others were wounded. The Communists were deprived of their arms. They have now formed a hatchet brigade and have armed themselves with crowbars, axes and choppers. They are determined not to surrender without further fighting. —Sun.

WILL MAKE GOOD

ENEMIES OF ORDER

CHIANG’S WAR ON REDS ARRESTS ORDERED By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright Rec. S a.m. SHANGHAI, Friday. The Nationalists, at a party meeting in Nanking, came to an impasse when the Nationalist Government at Hankow adopted a resolution demanding the arrest of several Ministers there. Moderates styled the Central Control Committee, dominated by

Marshal Chiang Kai-shek, also demanded the expulsion of Michael Borodin, the Soviet adviser to the Nationalists. The resolution demanded the arrests of the following as enemies of public order: Borodin, George Hsu, Minister of Justice; Tan Pingshen, Minister of Agriculture; Chen Tohsu and Teng Yenta, the latter alleged to be a Communist Party's leader. The committee’s action followed the refusal of the men named to attend at Nanking a conference called to settle differences within the party. —A. and N.Z.

NOTE TO UNITED STATES REPAIRING OF DAMAGE By Cable. —Press Association. —Copyright Reed. 12.40 p.m. SHANGHAI, Friday. The Nationalist reply to the American Nanking note, which is presumably the same as the British repb r except in reference to Shameen, states that the Nationalist Government is prepared to make good all damage done to the American Consulate at Nanking, on the ground that whether or no such damage was caused by the Northern rebels or others, the fact remains that the American Consulate on Chinese territory had been violated. Regarding reparations for personal injuries to the United States, nationals and other material damage, the Nationalist Government is prepared to make reasonable reparation, except in cases where it is definitely proved that it had been caused by the British and American bombardment, or by Northern rebels, agents or provacateurs. The note says that the demands for the adequate punishment of commanders of Nationalist troops for murder, injuries, indignities and material damage, assumes the guilt of Nationalist forces in capturing Nanking. While this guilt is contradicted, a rigid Government inquiry is being conducted in order to ascertain the actual facts. The Government proposes that the question of punishment should await the findings of either a Government inquiry, or of an international commission of inquiry, as the law's of nations prohibit bombardment of cities of friendly states. The Government proposes that such commission of inquiry should also investigate the circumstances of the bombardment of unfortified Nanking. The Nationalist reply regarding the demands for an apology from the Commander-in-Chief of the Nationalist forces, says that the Government proposes that this await the determination of the question of guilt.—A. and N.Z.