Sune 2
_The policy of patient conciliation as enunciated by Sir Austen Chamberlain towards the end of 1925 has been consistently fol-owed in China by the British Government, and, moreover, substantial concessions have since been made to meet the demands lof the Nationalists, in sympathy with their alleged aspirations. Of all the Powers having treaties with China, Britain was the first to give an earnest of her expressed intentions, but in spite] lof all her friendly gestures and Jconcessions, the feeling against tain has not improved. It is} in fact, more intense to-day than it has ever been in the history of her trade relations with this! country, Evidence of this is so] striking that it requires no recapitulation. It is not that the masses or the merchant class are responsible for this animus, but paid agitators, who, operat ing under the direction of the political forces opposed to Britain, find in the ignorant masses a wide field for their machina~ tions. The test of any formula {is the reaction to its practical application, The policy of patient conciliation has been submitted to such a test with dive results. There is a barrier of antagonism which it cannot pass; a strong undercurrent of irreconcilable fore striving incessantly for the destruction of British interests in China, and, incidentally in the whole of Asia, The British have been singled out for this concentrated attack, and, it seems that no matter what friendly overtures are made or what concessions or privileges are given up to satisfy so-called Nationalist aims, the forees opposed to Britain are implacable. Reyorts received from all parts lof the country indicate that anti-British propaganda is being conduated on an extensive—scale, land, in view of the fact that the authorities make no attempt to suppress it, the logical into ence is, that it has official approval." Not only is this virus being instilled into the minds of the people, but the masses are encouraged—to demonstrate against Britain whenever a fiting opportunity occurs. Such! loceasions are made to order, and no restraint is placed upon the factions of the demonstrators, jones they have been moved to a pitch of frenaled excitement ey agitators.
These aspects of the situation may not be lightly ignored. They thrust themselves under lour notice every day, with increasing persistency. During the past week, a boycott of British goods has been in full swing at Ningpo. It was instigated by the Anti-British Radical Association whose aim is, as the name implies, the destruction of British interests in ithe province of Chekiang. Not content with obstructing the channels of British trade, they have wantonly destroyed all the! advertising matter which they' could lay their hands on, _impounded all stocks of British goods in the possession of Chinese agents merchants and reduced the merchant class to state of submission, by the customary methods of intimidation. This is merely an instance of what is happening near Shanghai. We could go on quoting similar anti-British—movements which are in operation in other provinces, but, this example! {will suffice to illustrate our point lof view. It clearly shows the attitude of mind behind the political scene, which is intent on {fostering the expansion of anti-British feeling. These movements may be construed as the Chinese official reply to Britian's. beau geste, or as the graceful acknowledgment of a "sincere testimony of Britain's" goodwill
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.