Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-02-10
TROOPS
GO TO SHANGHAI
DESPITE CHINESE
Chen Refuses TO Sign
Agreement With Troops
On Way To China.

SHANGHAI, Feb. 8. - (P - British
troops and British warships continued
their progress today toward Shanghai
for the announced purpose of protect
ing British lives. They proceeded de-
spite. the protests of both the Peking
and nationalist (Cantonese) govern
ments that such protection was unnec-
essary, and the further declaration by
the nationalist government that it
would sign no agreement with Great
Britain if armed forces were landed at
Shanghai
Two regiments of British troops from
Gloucestershire and Durham departed
from Hongkong toward Shanghai, con-
tinuing their voyage Erom England
They will form part of the force of
more than 10000 soldiers and numer-
Gus warships that Great Britain has
ordered assembled at or near Shanghai
as a result of Chinese hostility.
From Hankow however, came news
of developments more favorable to set
tlement of the British Chinese contro-
versy. Eugene Chen, nationalist for
eign minister it was said, resumed
conversations M o n d ay with owen
O'Malley, British charge d'affaires,
which were broken off several days
ago when Chen refused to- sign an
agreement until assurances were given
that British armed men would not be
landed in Shanghai. This agreement
would have provided for the future ad-
ministration of the British concessions
at Hankow and Kiukiang, which the
ooti CT al
mobs of coolies, fired by radical
speeches, had forced British residents
to evacuate their districts, and large
numbers of them to go oShanghai
and elsewhere for safety.
In resuming their conversations,
Chen and O'Malley discussed the effect
upon the agreement of the landing of
British troops at Shanghai Although
there have been strong intimations that
part of the British forces would be de-
flected to Hongkong or other ports
unless the situation at Shanghai be-
came acute, no word officially has
come of such intention.
Although little news has percolated
from Chekiang province, where the ma
tionalist forces are engaged in combat
with the troops of Marshal Sun Chuan-
Fang, the proposal to the Chinese fac
tions that Shanghai be declared neu-
trail zone made by American Secretary
of State Kellogg, was less discussed in
foreign circles today than two days
ago. Since then word was received
that the nationalist (Cantonese) forces
had been thrown back in Chekiang
province to the Kia2gsi border by the
army of Sun, which is striving to halt
it's progress northward toward this
city.
LONDON, Feb. 9.-(R-British war
ships are already on their way to
Shanghai-this despite the fact that
the Cantonese foreign minister, Eugene
Chen, had offered strenuous objections
/ to continuing negotiations with the
British charge, owen OMalley, at
Hankow, if the British government
announced policy of despatching troops
to Shanghai were carried out.
/ Premier Baldwin, in the house OF
commons yesterday, gave assurances
that British ships would not proceed
to Shanghai unless an emergency
arose or unless the British representa-
| tives there advised their presence
| Winston Churchill, chancellor of the
exchequer in the house today explain
ed that the movement of the British
/ troops from Hongkong to Shanghai
was in accordance with the advice OF
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