Change Unlikely to be Detrimental to British Interests, Parliament Informed:
Intervention Unlikely London, Dee. 21.)
Questioned in the House of Com mons, regarding the leases surrendered in the six concessions "in China, Sir Austen Chamberlain said that he did not anticipate that the change was likely to be detrimental to British interests. He reminded the House that it was the Government's policy to relax rather than to extend the British control the position contemplated by the original arrangement, the sole ob-Ject of which was the convenience, of British traders and residents in China, The only method by which this could be done, consistently. with termination of the position of the Government as a ground-landlord, is to surrender the remainder of the leases held by the Government to the existing lot-holders.
The minute concluded:—"The cipal areas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.