ARMS FOR THE CHINESE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 316, 29 March 1928, Page 1

ARMS FOR THE CHINESE

Nations Consider Restriction MOVE TO END CIVIL WAR THE question of the supply of arms to China for civil war ; purposes is again under notice, but no agreement against such supply by the arms-producing nations is yet possible. British Wireless—Press Assn.—Copyright

Reed. 10.40a.m. RUGBY, 'Wed. /QUESTIONS were asked in the House of Commons regarding the ratification, of the League of Nations’ Convention, signed in 1925, providing for the control of international traffic in arms.

In one question it was averred that the continuance of civil strife in China was prolonged by the ease with which the contesting parties could obtain arms from Europe. Sir Austen ‘ Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary, replying to these questions, said that as regarded the League of Nations Convention, the British Government was prepared to ratify at any moment when it could secure simultaneous ratification by the principal arms-producing Powers. As he had stated on November 24, 1926, the British Government had made this suggestion to the Governments of Austria, Belgium, Czecho-Slovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United States of America. The replies received, however, indicated that there was no immediate prospect of a simultaneous ratification by all these Governments. In regard to the supply of arms to

; China for civil war purposes, the only | operative instrument for controlling iit was the China Arms Embargo I Agreement of 1919. The effectiveJ ness of this agreement had been | largely impaired by the fact that j some of the principal arms-supplying j States, notably Germany, Czecho- | Slovakia and the Union of Socialist i Soviet Republics, were not a party to j ; The possibility of making the emi bargo more fully effective had been j considered at a meeting of the Diplo* • matic Body in Peking on February 21 i last, when the German Minister dej dared the readiness of his Government to accede to the agreement. The j meeting decided that an identical telej gram should be sent by all the reprei to their respective Govern-

ments, drawing attention to the importance of the agreement, and to the necessity for preventing the exportation of arms and munitions of war to China, and expressing the conviction that those Powers who had not yet taken measures in this respect should be induced to do so as soon as possible. MOVE BY JAPAN On March 1, the Japanese Foreign Minister handed a Note to the Sovi*i Ambassador, urging that his Government should refrain from allowing the importation of arms into China bv their nationals. Representations had also been made to the Government by the British Minister at Prague. M. Benes had replied that Czecho-Slovakia could not become a party to an agreement prohibiting the export of arms to China unless it were really an international one, equally binding on all States. The Moscow correspondent of the British United Press Association says the Soviet Government, protesting that it never did, and never intends to, introduce arms into China has declined Japan’s invitation to sign the Peking Convention of 1919. This prohibits the importation of

arms into China. The Soviet also repudiates the charge that Russian officials have ill-treated Chinese. However, says the correspondent, the newspaper “Izvestia” at the same time records the fact that several hundred Chinese were either arrested or deported from Soviet territory on charges of smuggling or of speculating in Soviet currency.—A. and N.Z. SWATOWJN DANGER MENACED BY COMMUNISTS By Cable .— Press Association. — Copyright. HONGKONG, Wednesday. A naval wireless report from Swatow, the port of Kwaggtung, discloseg

a serious situation due to the defeat of the Government troops by Communist forces. Some of the troops have treacherously gone over to the Communists. The city is in a state of panic. Reports from the neighbouring country districts tell of Communist peasant uprisings, and of a march by peasants on the city. The fall of the city is feared to be imminent. —Sun. “NOT DISINTERESTED” RUSSIA’S GAME IS PLAIN JERUSALEM, Tuesday. The most notable event in a twoday's discussion at the conference of the International Missionary Council was an address delivered by Dr. David Yui, of China. He said his country now realised that Russia was not disinterested in offering her friendship, but Communist propaganda would remain attractive to the masses, while economic, social, and international problems remained unsolved. Native women delegates from China, Korea, and Japan testified that no religion born or introduced into their countries gave women freedom, except Christianity. Bishop Francis J. McConnell, of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America, described Americans as in many respects purely pagan.—A. and N.Z. ..