"
CABLES.
LATEST CABLES (THROUGH NEUTER'S" AGENCY.]. FRANCE'S DEBTS TO U.K. UNANIMOUS PRESS "APPROVAL OF BRITISH NOTE.
"CUINUNATION DY SURRENDERS,"
LONDON, February 9th A generous offer, which brings t repayment of Frange's debt to England within the range of practical polities." is the unanimous verdict of the news papers on the British Deht. Note" to France
The bope is expressed that France will - meet the offer in the same spirit in which
it was sent.
The Westminster Gazette thinks Mr. Winston Churchill (Chancellor of the Exchier) has done well in insisting that Pritain's claims cannot be made entirely dependent upon the access or failure of the Dawes scheme. The Daily Kelegraph cominends Mr. Charchill from refraining in dealing with figures; and add that enough has already been said in respect of the inadequacy of the pro- pol unofficially mooted by France, under which the Briton, who is paying seven pence in the pound for France's -unrepaid debt to England. would get re-
THE
HONGKONG
LATEST CABLES,
OPIUM CONFERENCE. GENEVA MEETING NOT ENTIRE FAILURE
PERTINENT PRESH VIEWS.
וי
LONDON, February sch
The Times regrets the withdrawal of the Chinese and American delegations from the Conference, but is of opinion it should not condemn the Conference to sterility. The Conference still has Lord Cecil's practical proposals before it and will not have met in vain if an advance is made along those lines, though the proposals, unfortunately aro dependent on the suppression of opium
China. Muuggling into
The Timra adds it has become notorious that the present hostilities thats have distracted China are little more than 4 "drug war," in which the chief aim of the leaders is often inspired by the desire to occupy the best poppy-growing regions where enormous revenues are derivable from an illicit but open trade in opium.
EARLIER CABLES,
PLENARY SITTING HELD.
GESAVA, February 8th. At a plenary sitting yesterday after on the Opium Conference passed the reports of the sub-committers, and after the explanation of the Indian delega tion, reserved for further consideration
10TH,
1925
DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY
FAR EASTERN CABLE
LATEST CABLES.
TRADE UNIONISM, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION ON UNITY IN COUNCIL
་་
NEWS.
AMSTERDAM, February 9th.
After rejecting the British proposal for
(THROUGH KRUTER'S AGANGT.]
JAPANESE SAILORS MISSING.
JAPAN IN THE AIR.
BUSY FACTORIES. DANGER TO THE PACIFIC. [By cd. ORIY, EDITOR OF "THE AEROPLANE, LONDON,]
"One swallow does not make a sum-
an unconditional informal conference with ELEVEN LIVES LOST THROUGH mer," say the old proverb, and similar
the Moscow International with the aimé of establishing unity in council, the Inter national Federation of Trade Unions resolved on offering to admit the Russians when the latter expressed a desire for admission, declaring their readiness to
LAUNCH CAPSIZING.
VANCOUVER. February sth.
Nine sailors belonging to the Japanese undron now in port, are missing as a result of the capsizing of a launch in which a large party, was returning from
convene a conference at Amsterdam to discuss unity after the Russians had voiced their willingness to join the Inter-shore leave. national Federation.
CRICKET IN AUSTRALIA,
VICTORIA TEAM COLLAPSE ·
*AGAINST M:C.C.
W
ELEVEN LIVES LOST.
LATER The launch contained sixteen men re- turning from the cruised damn. Seven were rescued and eleven drowned. The MELBOURNE, February 9th.capsizing of the launch was due to colli A thunderstorm interrupted play before sion with the train ferry at midnight lunch to-day.
Four Junior Officers are among the eleven men drowned.
Vittoria, in their first innings, scored " 179 in reply to the M.O.C.'s score of 500. Woodful made 60 and Ransford 62.
In the follow.on, Victoria collapsed, losing 6 wickets for 14 runs before stumps| were drawn. Kilner took 5 wickets for 3 runs and was cheered on leaving the Geld. Hearne obtained the other wicket at a cost of runs.
RUSSO-JAPAN 'TREATY- DISCUSSION TAKES PLACE IN,
CABINET IN TOKYO
PERING, February 9th The courier, who conveyed the signed J. L. Bryan captained the MC.C. team copy of the Russo-Japanese treaty, to in the absence of J. W. H. T. Douglas,Tokyo, returned here yesterday. who was undergoing X-Ray treatment.
The Japanese Cabingt has discussed the Treaty, which is expected to be ratified in a few days.
lief to the extent of roughly a half-penny the question of hemp in connection with It was found that no bones were broken
in iv pound, beginning 10 years hencë, The Daily Express consides the offer the culmination of a series of surrenders.
ATTITUDE OF FRANCE.
PARIS, February sth.
It is semi-officially stated the French Government will give its whole attention to the British Note, with the strong desire to find a basis for friendly discussion.
·Consideration of the Note will probably require some time.
*་
Before pursuing the discussion on the is of the British suggestions, it must first be considered what figures fight be taken into account with respect to the two methods of repayment suggested. "For example a sum of 200,000,000 francs in deliveries in kind under the Dawes
eme have, been promised to representa tives in the devastated regions. This sunt st be borne in mind when the question Brises of estimating the amounts which might eventually be appropriated to the repayment of Britain from the yield of the Dawes pintz
the inclusion of hashish in the list of dangerous drugs; also the question of heroin.
M. Toivols (Finland) submitting a report by committee sixteen on the Ame rican proposals and British and French statements, and the failure to reach an, agreement was more apparent than real. The speeches, at this morning's sitting of the conference, by British, French and Dutch delegates clearly showed their Governments were ready to
the
suppress the use of opium, and agreed that the League of Nations should fix date from which the period of if the pro- fifteen years should run. ducing countries adopted, a similar attitude the opium problem could be solved very soon
On a motion by Lord Creil the con forenen adopted the principle of the protocol of the second convention, with some modification of article one with re-
distribution of raw opium, in order to
Also the negotiators must draw pagard to control of the production and fair balance sheet, showing the wealth „Of France compared to pre-war days and Ecupared to other nations; and the finan- tial efforts of France in relation to the efforts of other countries" and her fuan- pful capacities.
Possibly after all necessary data have been collated, the Premier or the Finance Minister, or both, may go to London directly to negotiate with Mr. Baldwin
nd Mr. Winston Churchill
EARLIER CANGES."
satisfy the scruples of Yugo Stavia, Turkey and Persia
Lord Cecil re-
marked that this was a great step in avance..
Mr. Sugimura declared that Japan would support all the measures" to im- prove the Hague Convention.
WITHDRAWAL OF CHINA.
TEXT OF NOTE.
In a letter notifying the withdrawal LONDON, February 8th. A British Note to France with re of China, Doctor Alfred Sze stated that gard to the French debt states that the the present conditions, in China, unfor Government adheres to the principle of the Balfour Note, but parts of Lord tunately, made it impossible for the
Curzon's Note of August 11th, 1923 re- Chinese Government to enforce effective terring to Mr. Bonar Law's proposals of January, 1923, are cleafly no longer ly its policy of prohibiting the produc- applicable to existing facts of the situa
tion of opium for other than medicinal
tion, as it was written before framing the Dawes plan, and on the assumptions and scientific purposes, but these .con-
that the tatal German liability opted in
at a figure less than that
These assumptions are no longer ten- alte.
only temporary, were
and
be fixed ditions the Daves plan and that bonds of the the Government of China gave #D "kind contemplated in Mr. Bonar, Law's
assurance that it would not depart from plan would be issued.
this policy, and would exert all, ita power to enforce the policy indepen- dently of the action of other Powers, and also hoped the latter would make every effort to prevent the illegal traffic in opium and narcotic drugs and pro- gressively suppressh the légalised use of prepared opium.
The principle of the Balfour Note is that Britain shall receive from Europe payments equivalent to those she is un- der obligation to make to the United States.
Government cannot accept The
principle would which this be achieveable upon the a full normal yield of the Dawes an nuities or by taking at value debts which cannot at, present be treated as good assets,
#
position
Only
basis
of
con-
The Government has already sented not merely to reduce the claims Allies to the amount against the necesary to cover its own payments in respect of the British war debt to the United States, but will actually apply the whole United Kingdom share of German reparations to that purpose This means that Britain not only takes to its own charge the whole of its own war damages, but also eight hundred millions sterling of foreign securities devoted by her to the general effort be
In the
in his elbow in the motor accident in which he was involved on Saturday,
FARLIER CABLES.
S.O.S.
GREECE, PICKS UP MESSAGE
FROM PRES. HARRISON." »
Losnos, February sth.
A message from China (Greece) yaya an S.O.S. has been received from the American steamer, President Harrison which is voyaging from Shanghai to New York.
The President Harrison left Hong kong on January 8th, on her round-the- world route under the Dollar Steamship Company, carrying a large number of passengers.]
FRENCH SOCIALISTS, PARTY IS DIVIDED UPON FUTURE POLICY.
GEENOLLE, February 8th. The congress of the French Socialist Party opened here this morning, and is expected to last at least five days.
Considerable importance attaches 20 a big debate in which the main issue will be whether to renew the Socialist
parliamentary, party's mandate to sup- port the Government, as the role played by the Socialist deputies since M. Herrict's succession to office has been subject to certain amount of criticism, and the party is not altogether unani mous in the matter.
BARRACKS ON FIRE.
THIRTEEN KILLED IN BLAZE AT BEZIERS.
1.
PARIS, February 8th." Thirteen persons were killed and 15 seriously injured by the collapse of a wall during a fire in a disused barracks at Beziers.
The dead are mostly soldiers and fire
men.
LATEST CABLES.
OBITUARY.
SIR GEORGE CRITCHETT.
LONDON, February 9th. The death is announced of Sir George Critchett, surgeon oculist to the King since 1001...
H.I.J.M.S. TMTOSA." DESTROYED IN ACCORDANCE WITH WASHINGTON AGREEMENT,
ToxYO, February 8th. The Japanese battleship H.L.J.M.S. Toxa was sunk to-day in accordance with the Washington Agreement. -
POLITICAL
SITUATION
IN CHINA.
(THROUGH REUTER 2. AGENCY.]
DR. SUN YAT SEN. TEMPERATURE REMAINS NORMAL. AND PULSE IS 100.
PERING, February 9th.. The bulletin, issued by the Feking Union Medical College "to-day, states that Dr. Sun Yat Seo's temperature was still normal this morning; pulse 100"
[FROM THE DAILY BULLETIN."] POSTS IN SZECHUAN.
PERING. February 8th. Maudates appoint Yang Sen Tupan of Szechuan, and General Lai Hei Huai as Civil Governor of Szechuan, vice Teng Hai Hao, who is relieved of that post but is permitted to retain his command of the Thirtieth Division
SHANGHAI AND WOOSUNG, REGULATIONS FOR JURISDICTION OF TUPAN.
PEXING. February Bib. The regulations to govern the jurisdic tion of the Tupan of Shanghai and Woo sung have not yet been completed, but it is understood that they will be sub mitted to Sun Pao Chi and Yu Ho Teh before their promulgation."
Sun Pao Chi is at present in Tientsin, and Fu Ho Teh is attending the Re- EARLIER CABLES.
organisation Conference in "Peking. BOSTON, February 8th SHANTUNG RAILWAY.
the Tho death has Baancier Mr. Thomna Lawson.
BOYCOTT TO FORCE OUT PRESENT ADMINISTRATION. EARLIER CABLES.
occurred
DE
| (REUTER'S AMERICAN SERVICE.)
ALLEGED RUM-RUNNER. BRITISH SHIP CAPTURED BY AMERICANS.
New York, February 8th. Coast guardsmen have brought into harbour the British steamer Homestead, laden with twoive thousand cases of liquor, also twenty-eight of the crOW, who were captured.
"one
T8180740, February 6th.
In an endeavour to force out the pre- sent management, the Tsingtao Chamber
BOMB MYSTERY IN F.M.S. PROTECTOR OF CHINESE SERI- OUSLY INJURED.
A sensation WILS caased in Kuala Lumpur on January 3rd, at about eleven o'clock in the morning when young Chinese woman, apparently un- kaown to Kuala Lumpur, entered the office of Mr. D. Richards, Protector of Chinese in the Federated Malay States,
following which a bomb exploded, the Protector being wounded severely, while she herself was badly injured.
ly, one Pursuit Ship does not make an Air Force. The United States have the finest breed of pursuit aircraft in the world can say that without pre- judier, having seen the best British and
The office of the Protector of Chinese, French pursuit ships, and knowing what the Japanese have got. The Curtiss P. W. S is forty miles an hour faster says a report sent to the Straite Tixies, than the best British fighter, and is faces the door leading to the office of the" twenty or thirty miles an hour faster O.C.P.D., Kuala Lumpur Central Police than the best French, Dutch, or Italian Station, and quite a number of people. from the central scation are reported to ship."
But when I complimented an Ameri-have seen the woman who is stated tə can officer on the superiority of his hare been well-dressed and extrying
type he handbag, 'walk across the central station service in this particular
court yard and enter the Protector's astonished me by saying that there were only twenty-five of them in existence, office. Mr. Richards Was seated at him. and that there were no more or order. writing table when the woman entered. And finally I discovered that nearly all
As soon as she entered she is alleged to the United States army's flying is being have gone directly up to the table at done on old ships which were designed which Mr. Richards was seated and in England in 1918 and altered "in Ame-
engaged him in conversation. The next rica to take the famous Liberty motor.
thing was a tremendous explosion. Mr. The French have 2,000 pursuit ships, Richards fell off his chair and lay in a which, though not so good a the American type are better than any. [heap on the floor, while the woman lay thing else in the world. And the Prostrate on the other side of the table. French have nearly as
Mr. W. L. Blythe, a exdet in the Secre many high- speed bombers and reconnaissance shipetariat, had just opened a swing door of the type used by Lieutenant Pelletier and was about to enter the room, evident- Doisy in his record flight from Paris to see Mr. Richards, when the explo sion occurred. Being the farthest away he was fortunate in escaping with minor injuries.
to Calentta
We in England have dozens of squadrons of useful pursuit ships and fighters, though not so fast as the Ame-
As was to be expected the terrific sound rican craft, and we pride ourselves on baving the anest Beet of seagoing of the explosion took everybody by sur- aircraft in the world. "
But the most dangerous air force inprise, and in a moment the place was the world is the Japanese, for nobody crowded. Mr. Richards' table was found knows just how strong it is, just of to have been almost blown to matchwood nobody knew how strong the Japanese navy was until it smashed, the Russian navy at Tsushima. twenty years ago.
INSTRUCTORS FROM ABROAD?
What we do know is that the Japan ese have seventeen aircraft factories ge ing full blast and some running night shifts, while there is not a single Ameri can aircraft factory actually employed to its full capacity. Also we know that the Japanese have bought samples of the very best French and British and and German aircraft, and aero-engines, are copying them and making minor improvements in them.
Further, we know that the Japanese Naval Air Service is being trained on the best British system, as laid down by a group of British ex-naval officers who went to Japas
to organise the system of instruction after the British, Government, loyal to the white race,' had refused to permit officers on the active list of the Royal Air Force to And, go to Japan for this purpose. in addition, we know that the Japanese Army Air Service is organised on the French system and has been trained by French instructors, and has begu very fully equipped with French air- craft, pending the arrival of ships from
Japanese factories.
the
The Japanese, not being a horseman is never a antural Bier, but with good training he becomes a very "competent pilot of any type of aircraft, even the fastest pursuit ships.
Books and papers and broken bits of glass were littered all over the floor. Mr. G. P. Cuscaden, C.P.D.; and Mr. J. D.
Dalley, A.C.P., were soon on the spot," the crowd was cleared and an ambulance Within a few minutes, telephoned for.
the policy ambulance arrived and the woman, who was bleeding profusely, waa removed to the General Hospital under
escort. The hospital ambulance aled er- rived soon afterwards and Mr. Richards was sent to the European hospital. Both the woman and Mr. Richards were an- conscious.
On admission to the hospital, Mr. Richards was immediately opérated upon, and it was discovered that his condition
rot
frst BO serious as" - was
Was
thought, although there is still cause for some auxiety. He is said to be suffering from a number of superficial, cuts and punctures on the face, right arm and chest. There are some wounds on the left leg and severe lacerations of the skin on the right wrist, with injuries to some tendons..
Also, he is ex-
The injuries to the woman are stated tremely brave, and regards it an honour
to be even more severe than those su5- to die for his country. And in a fight. the man who is sure he will go to tained by Mr. Richards. heaven if he dies, starts with an ad- Un enquiry, it was learnt that the Fantage over the man who has a linger-homh was an electric one operated by Ing. predilection in favour of remaining switch. alive.
When one couples to the unknown, but certainly formidable, strength of the Japanese air service the known strength of the Japanese navy, one may easily understand that already to-day Japan is the strongest Power in the
Pacific.
:
AND WHAT ABOUT RUSSIA The British Empire has in Australia precisely the same Japanese problem that America has on the Pacific slope The Australians are helping to face that problem by building an air flest And they are working of their out the establishment Bear Port Dar-
·wing
North in
Australia, of an
BIT
base which will link up by way of the Dutch East Indian oil islands (which the Japanese also covet) with the force supply air great British naval and
So that we shall base at Singaperrier to prevent any have an aerial hostile sen and air fleet from coming westward.
the
At first it was thought that the woman, who has bobbed hair, was a mysterious woman from Hongkong, but that sous improbable now that it is discovered she speaks Malay quite fluently. It is now thought that she is a Penang girl.
At the Kowloon Magistracy yesterday, Mr. E. W. Hamilton sentenced an elderly Chinese, living at No.-613, Canton Road, to nine months' hard labour for being in possession of nearly three taels of non- Government opium.
On a charge of receiving a quantity of jewellery to the value of $200, said to be the proceeds of an armed robbery committed at No. 7, Lee Yuen Street, on August 28th last, an unemployed CHi- nese was remanded by Mr. E. W. Hamil ton at the Kowloon Magistracy yesterday.
Sessions.
The case in which two Chinese were But what can the United States op- pose to a Japanese sea and air feet, charged with committing an armed rob which starts out to capture the Phi-bery on two Chinese women in an an
occupied house at Nam Cheong Street,., lippines and Hawaii! And what can
United States oppose to such Japan-Sham-shui-po, on January 13th, was con- ese, fleets which have established basen cluded yesterday at the Kowloon Magis the route tracy, when Mr. E. W. Hamilton com PROPOSAL TO FRANCE
in the Kurile Islands, United mitted both men for trial at the Criminal which was followed by the The Government therefore is of
States opinion that is might be found con
of Commerce has called a general boy-States army world Biers! So far as venient for the runth payments to
aviation cott of the Kiaotsi Railway, beginning anyone concerned with United
Arrested outside No. 9, Pakhoi Street, can see, there is no American be divided into, firstly fixed annual
to oppose air power
such SEKTESSION at three o'clock, on Saturday morning, amounts to be paid by France irrespec
at noon today.
Furthermore, there is Russia to be whilst in the act of climbing a drain pipe, tive of actual receipts from the Dawes
The Chamber's circular declares that considered, The Boviet Government is an unemployed Chinese appeared before annuities in the particular year, and
openly building the biggest possible a
air Mr. E. Hamilton at the Kowloon secondly a further Banual charge.00
4 general Jabour strike will follow.
feet, with the help of German, seronau-
charged
with the French share of the Dawes annuities.
felonious intent and with possession of Primari It, of course, shall be
first
In taking this action, the Tsingtao tical engineers, who were evicted from Magistracy yesterday, Staics entered Balfour
Germany by French jealousy.
a pair of silk stockings, of which he could by that
France
It is understoor steaming from the
the vessel was seized Chamber of Commerce asserts that it 17, that air feet is intended
action
not give a satisfactory explanation. He against Britain be superseded, if and wi
can no longer remain inactive, and it against the Western bourgeoises," a
was sentenced to four months" hard "Note to the existing situation the
when payments derived by Britain from
the Russians call us. But it is well Government, remembering that the in-
debts and reparations It is reported that the const unites with other organisations to drive known in
circles that there labour." ter-Allied debts were incurred in Europent. war
een the Rus between were sufficient to provide a fall dis- guard ship fired several rounds from
The Chinese merchants at Harbin are common cause, has been prepared to
charge of the British obligations to
sian and the
at least such
of Mongolian orign), which is at ing French debt to Britain shall be
obligations, including payments already reduced, provided the principle of de-made, then any surplus shall be used to
as strong as the entente cordiale her plete text of the Russo-Chinese agres twent England and France before the ment concerning the joint administration finite payment by France from her own liminish the burden of Britain's Allice.
war in 1914. And any American action of the Chinese Eastern Railway. They national resources, and fixed with due
The Government hope, if the French
in Asia against Japanese aggression.allege that there are secret clauses. regard to her relative wealth and tax
Government is axed to make pre-
in Mancharia or China proper may They are also opposing the tariff policy paying capacity, Be amared without re
poenly on the liner here guessed, that
And itself oppaard by Russian as well of Mr. Ivenoff, the new Soviet General ference to reparations
a settlement satisfactory, to both cost-
Manager of the C.E.B, Kameness air strength. tries may be reached.
fore the plication of
the war.
all counter-erstood, Byst
consider proposals under which the exist} United Staten over the full period of its three pounder guna, wounding so out the Railway Administration, which is an understane, who are both demanding the publication of the com
(Continued on next Column).
of the crew of the Homestead.
THE FLYING" FINN.
hostile to Shantung.
There investigators from the Ministry of Communications have arrived to con New Tonk, February 8th. Panya Nurmi, the Flying Finn,"duct an investigation. won a special two-mile race in 0 min, 8' Becs, only two-fifths of a second below the world's record
The consensus of opinion here is that the management will have to go.