The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-08-09

The Italians would risk capture By
the British navy II removed.
A Chinese spokesman said that
the British decision to withdraw was
! Of minor Importance" but it was
another move IN the direction of
Japanese control Of the settlement.
A communique issued identically
here and at Shanghai said:
British troops at present station
ed at Shanghai and In northern
China are being withdrawn for serv-
ice elsewhere"
Whether they would be sent to
Hong Kong, the British naval base
on the southeast coast, was not
Immediately made known.
Hong Kong was being guarded
closely against tens Of thousands Of
Japanese troops now In southern
China.
Britain Getting Out
It meant that Britain, so far as its
military forces on strictly Chinese
soil were concerned, was getting out.
It obtained its foothold in China
almost 100 years ago, in 1843 In the
"opium war" and fought another
war and the Boxer rebellion to hold
It.
British troops are stationed at
Peiping, in the legation quarter;
at Tientsin, in the British conces-
sion, and at Shanghai In the inter-
national settlement.
Left to defend foreign interests
are American marines at the three
cities, with the main force at
Shanghai where they have their own
defense sector, and French troops,
who guard the French concessions
at Tientsin and Shanghai.
It was said authoritatively, i'm
mediately after the brief withdrawal
announcement, that the United
States government had been kept
informed Of the British intention to
Withdraw and that Japan also had
been notified.
Number Of Troops
There are about 1900 British
troops at Shanghai, 1t was said au-
thoritatively-two battalions minus
one company. At Tientsin there is
one company (perhaps $50 to 800
menu At Pieping there are hand
full. It was announced last Novem-
Der that the North China forces,
stationed at Tientsin and Peiping,
would be reduced to the number
necessary ito protect property and
maintain order"
The original purpose Of the Brit
ish troops at Shanghai was to pro-
tect the international settlement,
rich and built largely by foreign
and, among foreigners, British in
terests, from Chinese violence.
It was considered that the pres
ent garrison was too small to meet
any major situation at Shanghai
but that it was sufficient to be USE
full elsewhere"
Withdrawal, 1t was said today,
had been under consideration ever
since the European war started.
The press association, which en-
Joy excellent sources in situations
like the present, commented:
Britain Must Act
Britain at war must dispose Of
her forces in the best possible man
ner."
AS long ago as 1927, during q
Chinese revolt, Britain had with
drawn its troops from the British
concession at Hankow, abandoning
the concession, and had envisaged
the possibility that it might have
to Withdraw from Shanghai, even
though it reinforced its garrison
with crack household guard troops
from London for defense.
At that time authoritative sources
had said that it might take q min
imum Of 100000 foreign troops
even to hold the big ports Of China
against a determined, united Chin
csc attack.
During the World war there was
no analogous situation, because
China and Japan were on the AL
lied side.
Japan May Join Axis
Now Japan, under new govern
ment which had announced a new
greater East Asia" expansionist
policy, and had planned a single
party parliament on Fascist lines,
was threatening to tie herself to
the German-Italian "axis."
Britain had thought it best, un-
der Japanese pressure, to close the
Burma route Of supply to China.