Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-02
NORTH CHINA CRISIS
ALARMS OFFICIALS
Dispatch of U. S. Gunboat to
Tientsin Adds to Appre-
henSiOn Here.
By the Associated Press.


In the face of policy of. blank
official silence at the State Depart
ment on the diplomatic angles of the
Chinese situation, speculation turned
increasingly today to the northern
cities of China, with their large for
eign populations and investments.
Press dispatches from Shanghai and
Peking have indicated an increasingly
grave outlook in that regard and the
sending from Shanghai to Tientsin Of
an American gunboat was an added
indication of official apprehension that
anti-foreign disorders may break out
there, where two battalions of Amer
lean infantry already are on railway
guard duty under the Boxer protocol.
The policy of silence defeated today
every attempt at the State Department
to learn authoritatively the immediate
status of discussions with the London
and Toxic or other governments over
the Marking 0utrages and steps to be
taken, jointly or otherwise, to OBJ
tain reparations for attacks on Ameri-
cans and other foreigners.
Kellogg Visits White House.
Secretary Kellogg made hasty trip
to the White House early In the day
and conferred with President Coolidge
for 20 minutes. 1t was said later he
had taken over dispatches bearing on
the Chinese situation, but their pur-
port was not disclosed.
Later he refused to discuss plans
being formulated for presenting Amer
lean demands 10 THE Nationalist
authorities at Hankow The Nanking
incident was now under study both In
Washington and in correspondence
with Minister MacMurray at Peking
and Admiral Williams at Shanghai. it
was said. Whether 1t also figured
in Mr.. Kellogg's conversation yester-
day with the British Ambassador, Sir
Esme Howard, who called at the State
Department, officials declined to say.
Direct questions as TO whether the
text of American demands already
had been transmitted for delivery to
the Nationalist foreign office at
Hankow brought no direct reply a:
the State Department. Secretary
Kellogg did not know. it was said,
just what conversations Consul Gen
eral Lockhart may have had with the
Nationalist foreign minister on the
subject.
Silent on Nanlking.
1t was said, however, that Secre-
tary Kellogg was consulting with
Admiral Williams, probably through
the Navy Department, in regard to
the Marking incident, but the de-
partment refused to give an inkling
as to the conversations and also de-
clined to say whether a British COM
munication outlining steps the Lon
don government is preparing to take
and asking American cooperation
had been received officially.
UneaSiness over the situation at
Tiehtsin and even at Peking, where
there is an American legation guard
of approximately 400 Marines, is be-
lieved to reflect official knowledge
here and in Shanghai that agitators
have already gained a foothold in
these northern cities despite military
control of Chang Tso-Lin, Manchurian
war lord, whose battle slogan in
recent months has been elimination
from China of Russian influence.
By the Associated Press.
Conditions prevailing today in the
Shanghai international settlement and
the French concession We're reported
TO be quiet.
Defenses Strengthened
Barbed-wire and sandbag defenses
In the settlement ana the concession
are being strengthened, he said, add.
ing that the arrival of one battalion
of English troops (the Green How.
ards, due today, would bring the Brit.
ish defense strength to more than
Is, 900 men.
Agitation continues in the native
section OF the city, it was reported.
Mobilization of additional units of
United States Marines for possible dis
patch to China was being carried out
today by the Washington Government
Orders for concentration of widely
Continued on Page g. Column /