1938-12-07 — Page 3

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THE SH MAIL DECEMBER NY 1938

Library,

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LORD ELIBANK DEMANDS ACTION

South China

China Invasion Aimed At Hong Kong

It was natural that there should be continual representations in Ja-

that these had

PRESIDENT-

TAKES ACTIVE INTEREST

Washington, To-day.

President Roosevelt, who has returned from ́p holiday in the warm springs of Georgia, imme diately "summoned Mr. Summer Welles and also the Ambassadors of Italy, Germany, and France for what was described as a gen- cral discussion and exchange of views on the internațional situa- tion.Reuter.

London, To-day. tions towards territorial aggran In the House of Lord's yesterday, Lord Elibank, disement in South China.

elaborating on an enquiry as to what the Gov- ernment was doing to protect England's trade pan that Britain had given China in China, in view of the fact that British trade active help and interests were daily worsening, said he regret-caused natural misgivings and sus- picions, however, unfounded they ted that Lord Halifax was unable to be present were. owing to his departure on a well earned holi- Surely there had been frequent enough statements by responsible day.

Japanese statemen which coincid

Commonsense showed that there He referred to the conditions ruling at Tsingtao, ed with the fact that Japan's main

a stabilised was a need of foreign assistance Tientsin, Shanghai, the Yangtze River, Han-desire was to assure kow and throughout North China. He said the government in China, and to make and obviously the assistance most. sure it was free from communistic sought for would be Britain's. · He conditions operating against British trade and influence and anti-Japanese acti- suggested collaboration with the shipping were due to Japanese action in vities. the shape of prohibitions and preferential duties, the commandeering of public utilities and Japanese trade monopolies.

The fact is, said Lord Elibank,

· SHANGHAI DEMAND

re-

all other foreigners.

United States, which had sub- He did not wish to give the im-sidiary interests and patience in

pression that he had any lack of dealing with the subject. "We wish sympathy with China. There was a above all to avoid producing a

moment in any debate when there situation which is going to make: should be strict impartiality, giv-settlement much more difficult, ing encouragement to neither side.

THE GREAT ILLUSION

SINGAPORE CENSORSHIP

that the Japanese are leaving no Lord Elibank referred to the re- stone unturned in order to upset cent meeting in Shanghai of British trade and to bolster up presentatives of the foreign Cham- their own failing economic system. bers of Commerce, and the identical With regard to the suggestion One of the principal reasons for representations each Chamber had that Japan wanted to exclude all the capture of Canton was that it made to its Government regarding foreign intereste in China when created the gravest danger to Hong resisting Japanese trade aggression the reconstruction took place, he

London, To-day. in China.

thought we should look at it from Kong trade.

"To such an extent do they feel the angle of practical common The Singapore censors have ex- Lord Elibank wanted to know what

al- sense. He asked if it were possible purgated from a Paramount newe- the Government proposed to do to that action is necessary that, carry out Lord Halifax's statement though they know that any retalia-to see China reconstructed by reel, reference to Germany's Anti- Ja-tory action might seriously incon-China itself, or by China and Jewish drive and also an appeal. of July 27, and said that if pan's action was in order to defend venience them, they are prepared to Japan together to the exclusion of by Baron Rothschild-Reuter. their interests, we had the same face up to those inconveniencs for the future of foreign trade in right as regards our interests.

Nobody in Britain had any idea China," of retaliation through military measures, but there were many who believed that if we retaliated in an economic sense, we could make some impression on Japan.

Another aspect which was not usually noticed sufficiently, was the attitude of China towards Britain.

CHINA'S ATTITUDE

Lord Elibank said, "I have rea- Lord Elibank said he had pre- viously suggested the denunciation [son to believe that strong feelings in China of the Anglo-Japanese Trade Agree-are being engendered ment, of 1911, with regard to Ja-against Britain, owing to the fact panese trading in the Colonies. A that we have done nothing whatever second way would be to close Hong to assist them in their extremity.” Kong to all Japanese ships and car- go between Japan and South China, and thus effectively cause a block to Japanese trade with Canton.

GOLD LOSSES

Another way was by the closure of all Indian and Straits Settle- ments ports to Japanese coastal shipping.

Yet another way was with re- gard to Japan's desperate need of foreign exchange and credits.

China is beginning to regard this attitude as, at least, unfriendly.

I venture to believe that if the Chinese were successful in this war, from all I have heard, they would be just as upsetting to British trade as the Japanese are being at present. I wish to urge that something must be done to help China in her real trouble.” Lord Elibank also referred to the Anglo-American trade agreement

"I am credibly in that Ja- and said that many see behind this |

pan's gold Teserves

to

£30,000,000 and that their gold pro- duction has reached a low level of £12,000,000 per annum.

agreement a question of closer collaboration between them, If this were so, he suggested that the special occasion has arisen, and both countries could possibly take concerted action in China.

“I venture to urge that as Japan won't listen to reason, the time has

Lord Elibank concluded by urg- come definitely to take special eco- nomic steps to enforce our viewing the Government to take some point, to avoid being driven out of this trading field altogether.”

action in this awful case, of which the vital importance did not seem to be fully recognised in every Lord Elibank said there was very direction, and to take a retaliatory little doubt that there was an en- tire change of outlook in Japan to-action before it was too latu.

WISER TO WAIT

day towards China and her trading problems. According to the stato-1

Lord Barnby was of the opinion ment in Tokyo on December 1,

which mentioned a "new order in East that it would be wiser to wait until Asia," foreign interests and foreign we were further along the road of trade would play a very small part what was going to take place, be- in the future economic situation in fore we doubted Japan's repeated assertions that she had no ambi- China.

ANOTHER TOOTH IN BRITAIN'S NAVY. This picture, taken

at Portsmouth, is the first "to be taken of the new aircraft carrior HI.M.S. "Ark Royal", the latest addition to the Navy. Photo shows a striking angle shot alongside the vast new "Ark Royal.” In back- ground is H.M.8. Rodney, behind which is ILM.S. Royal Oak: (Pic- ture passed by "Admiralty: "Copyright),