British Govt. Asked to Press for Decision in Peking: 13
Powers in Debate London, Mar. 3.
Replying in the House of Commons to the suggestion that the British representatives to the Tariff Conference at Peking should be impressed with the necessity of expediting a decision on the interim tavift proposals, Sir Austen Chamberlain, the Secretary of State for Foreign. Affairs, alluded to the complexity of the points at issue and the obscurity of the situation Peking. He expected. He pointed out that 13) Powers were represented and de-sions did not rest in the hands of ish delegation alone.
Mr, Hannen (Gon.) asked whether the Government holds that the Peking Government is responsible for the Canton boycott and is able to restrain it.
Sir Austen Chamberlain _enumerated the British Government's representations on the matter. He said that he did not see any useful purpose in considering whether the Central Government technically was responsible since in practice it was notorious that at present they did not exercise effective control over Japan's Expenses at Conference Tokyo, Mar. 4, The Government has submitted to the Lower House supplementary estimates amounting to. Y.30,000,- 000, mainly covering incidental expenditure in connexion with the Peking Tariff Conference, epidemic prevention, ete—Reuter's Pacific Service.
Anticipation of Settlement of Rates Within Week "Peking, Feb, 28.
Discussing the prospects of the 'Tarif Conference' at a reception to} foreign journalists at the Waichiao~ pu this morning Dr. C. T. Wang mitted that they were still finding some difficulties in the way of al speedy conclusion, but he hoped that} the experts would settle the dificult question of rates within a week, Dr, Wang said that he would like to correct the erroneous impression thatthe Japanese delegation was holding up the conference. Iie had always maintained, he said,, that they had their difficulties but have been very sympathetic with regard to a speedy settlement, In reply to a question Dr. Wang. raid that he did not think that if higher surtaxes were agreed to by: the Powers the Chinese Government would object to the operation of the Washington surtaxes immediately tines the new treaty would require! some time for Yatifieation and other' formalities. He stated that he be-Hieved that all the Powers had now] individually agreed to the Chinese proposal concerning the amount to raised from the new surtaxes, although a collective pronouncement! to this effect had not yet been made.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.