Withdrawing Naval Guards: British}
Lives to Be Protected London, Dec. 6.
The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Locker-Lampson) reported to the House of Commons to-day that the latest news from Hankow, according to a telegram received by the Foreign Offce this morning, showed a very appreciable improvement. Neither the threatened general strike nor the The strike in the Japanese Concession had been settled. Negotiations for the settlement of the other disputes were proceeding. The labour situation momentarily was becoming, appreciably easier, Unions _were being formed daily and demands for} increased wages would inevitably] follow, but the Consul-General at Hankow did not anticipate that they would be of an impossible nature. The Chinese authorities appeared to be momentarily inclined to restrain the unions and endeavouring to secure observance of the regulations of the concessions, It was hoped that the naval guards would be withdrawn to-day. Mr. Lampson, the new Minister, was on his way to Hankow to examine the situation, Clement Kinloch-Cooke (Conservative) asked whether the Government really thought it was time to withdraw the naval guards.
The Foreign Under-Secretary replied that everything possible would bbe done to protect Bri
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