UNUSUAL DECLARATION

Wairarapa Age, 28 February 1927, Page 5

UNUSUAL DECLARATION

TO CHINESE ARMIES. BY DIPLOMATIC BODY AT I EKIN. AVOIDANCE OF “INCIDENTS.” (Received Sunuay, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, February 25. The Foreign Office has issued to the Press a declaration by the Diplomatic body at Pekin calling on the heads of the contending armies to take the necessary steps to avoid incidents which might force foreign nations to take action to defend the lives and property of their own nationals. The issue of this Note is described by the “Daily Telegraph’s” Pekin correspondent as a surprising new form of diplomatic procedure, adopted because a protest made in the normal way to the Chinese Foreign Office at Pekin would bo useless, but the correspondent doubts whether the new procedure will be effective.—(A. and N.Z.) THE SHANGHAI DEFENCES. POWERS CO-OPERATING. PROCLAMATIONS BY CHANG TSUNG-CHANG. SHANGHAI, February 25. The British troops are to-day in the line, that is, they are occupying a defence line outside the International Settlement boundaries, the maintenance of which is regarded as indispensable for the defence of the city. This action was taken on the request of the Municipal Council, made in view of the situation which is being created by the arrival of increasingly large numbers of Chinese troops from the north. The defences of both foTeign settlements on their actual bdunriaries are being further strengtehned. It is expected that the American and Japanese quotas for the defence will be in line soon. The Italians are occupying their particular sector.

The Skadtung tr-oops, wfio have a bad reputation for behaviour, are more truculent than Sun Ohuan-Sang’s, and already there have been clashes between the two on the Settlement border. So far they have not been serious, but they foreshadow unpleasant possibilities. About four thousand foreign nationals reside in the area occupied by the British troops outside the 'Settlement proper.

Heavy rain has been falling all day, and mast of the country is a quagmire. The general situation is comparatively quiet.

In the course of a proclamation, Chang Tsung-chang blames Communism for China’s chaos and says he purposes its extermination. He refers to- Chiang Kai-shek as a merciless robber and brutal boast.—(A. and N.Z.)

AN EXCELLENT IMPRESSION. MADE BY BRITISH TROOPS. (Received Sunday, 5.5 p.m.) SHANGHAI, February 26. Troops trains continue to arrive, and the Staff is expected to-night. The situation in the Settlement and immediately oustide is quiet. The British troops stationed here have created an excellent impression. The Chinese are disillusioned from the belief that the soldiers would lect and oppress them, and acknowledge that they are now secure from the rabble of which their own troops are largely composed.—(A. and N.Z.) A CHINESE VERSION. NATIONALIST AIMS OUTLINED. (Received Sunday, 5.5 p.m.) TOKIO, February 25. Tao Tinchu, a Chinese Nationalist delegate, arrived and was warmly greeted by hundreds of Chinese students. Interviewed, he said that as twothirds of China was controlled by the Nationalists, it was time to reach the fullest understanding with Japan. He was not seeking recognition of Canton. He only desired to impress Japan with the Nationalists’ future policy of friendship. He declared that the recovery of the Concession at Shanghai would be secured by peaceful methods, and added that the British killed 2500 Chinese at Wan Hsien, but the Chinese did not kill the foreigners at Hankow. —(A. and N.Z.)