of Commons London, Feb. 13.
The situation in China was the subject of many questions in the House.of Commons to-day. _. Sit_ William Davison, Conservative member for Kensington, asked over what parts of China did the [Chinese Government exercise effec tive control, and the Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, replied that [there Was: some difficulty in answering this questi ie said that, generally " speaking, the" Chinese! Government exercised more direct, and accordingly more effective, con vol over provinces eater to the ital than the more distant prov-
All provinces except Manchuria, added Sir John, acknowledged the Jauthority. of the Central Government, apart from those regions held by Gommunist organisations. The Foreign Secretary that the [Chinese authorities were doing their Ihest to preserve law and order and to. protect British lives and' pro-
Winterton, Conservative for the Horsham and Wor-hing division of Sussex, then asked: Does the Central Government exer-he Government exercised less authority there than elsewhere.
This drew the following retort from Earl Winterton: "Isn't that a very considerable part of China'
should not like to say that,' replied the Foreign Secretary, who advised Earl Winterton to consult an_atlas to sce how large China is.
In reply to another question, Sir JJohn Simon the poli¢y of the British G apart from maintenance of peace, generally, aimed at the maintenance of the Boxer Protocol.
Mr. Fred member for Nottinghamshire, then lasked whether the Foreign Secret had asked the Chinese Governments for ex play surances in regard to the ug between Japanese and nese troops within Chinese bor-at the beginning of the year, whether Sir John Simon would com: municate to the House any memo. random received from the Chinese Government in this connection, and whether he would make x statement jon the policy of the British Govern-
The Foreign Secretary replied in the negative, but said, that explana tions had been received in. regard to the events at Shanhaikuan. added that, on January 11 the Chin-jose Government conimunicated the signatories of the Boxer Protocol contending that, in forcibly the Protocol. stances, the Chinese communication stated," the Chinese Government could not assume responsibility for any situation resulting in, the exerfeixo by Chinese forces of their leziunate right of self-defence.
Replying to another question, Sir John. Simon outlined the events
situation at present was repot hanbaikuan, "and said, that the ho calm. "He added that he under stood a part of the Japanese troops had been withdrawn—Reuter, London, Feb. 16.
Mr, Samuel S, Hammersley, Conservative "member for Stockport, raised the question to-day in the! House of Commons of denouncing the Anglo-Japanese Trade, Agree ment, in consequence of Japanese competition. He argued that Japanese competition could not, be ifectively countered unless there! wore powers to discriminate against *Rfajor D. J. Colville, Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Trade, Teplied that. it was not the British Government's policy to denounce a commercial treaty with any coun-fry te British the resulting advant trade_ outweighed The colonies, which free them-treaty, independently by one year's notice, without the necessity, of denouncing the whole treaty, Major Colvill jaded that the whole question was under most careful considera-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.