Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13

I Feng. Lord of Shanghai. upon the Ma
| tionalist forces invading Chekiane
Province and headed for Shanghai,
and the resumption of Sino.British
| negotiations at Hankow.
Secretary Kellogg proposed that
| 1.-THE international settlement al
Shanghai be excluded from the area
of armed conflict so that American
citizens and other foreigners may re-
ceive adequate protection" He added
Importantly: THE American Govern
ment will be ready for it's part to be
come a party to friendly and orderly
negotiations properly instituted anC
conducted regarding the future
status of the settlement"
| Reply to the proposal has not yet
been received.
1t is estimated that 40 per cent OF
the foreign trade of China passes
through the port of Shanghai.
We still await trustworthy informa
ton as to the extent of the advantage
gained by Sun Chuan Feng Tor, to be
| more precise, by his chief lieuten,
ant, Gen. Pal Pao Shan, who now
energies as a prominent figure), in his
counter offensive. One report has it
that the Nationalist have been driver
| back to Chang Shan, and that
| Chekiang Province has been almost
cleared of the invaders. 1t is, how
ever, very unsafe to conclude that the
| Nationalist thrust toward Shanghai
has been decisively repulsed.
One notes as significant the follow
| ing: Several hundred Nationalist
troops at Nanchang are reported tc
have killed several of their officers
and to have looted and burned sec
re- t%n ,it~- I1n,
paid in deprecated paper instead OF
promised silver.
On Wednesday presumably in con
sequence of developments not divulged
in dispatches) two British battalions
| were dispatched from Hongkong for
Shanghai. My impression Is that
these troops have just been replaced
per routine arrangements and are be
ing sent to Shanghai instead of to
their home station.
The bark of Eugene Chen, foreign
minister of the Nationalist govern
ment, is worse than his bite. Never
never, never would he resume negotia
lions with Mr.. O'Malley, British
charge d'affaires at Hankow, before
an end should have been made t.
British show of force in or toward
China. Nevertheless, he did resume
negotiations a few days ago. and on
Thursday Austen Chamberlain told
the Westminster Parliament that there
was excellent prospect that Chen
would shortly sign an agreement fix.
ing new status for the Hankow and
kiukiang concessions, accompanied by
pledge of the Nationalist government
not to use force or to countenance the
use of force to effect changes in the
status Of the British or international
settlements. the British government
on its part engaging not to land more
troops on Chinese soil Except the two
battafions from Hongkong mentioned
above). unless new developments
should require reinforcement Ii. e., the
troops now en- route from Britain to
China would be diverted to Hongkong).
Under the agreement contemplated
the British municipality at Hankow
would become Sino-British municipal
ity with Sino British council on the
model of the Sino-German municipality
at Hankow, which superseded the old
German municipality and which has
functioned satisfactorily. Presumably
the agreement covers a similar change
at kiukiang.
The latest development is a pecu.
liarly Celestial one. In previous issues
Il have more than once referred to the