British Legation Decides to Withdraw Consul During, the Win iter Season 'A decision of extreme importance to British commercial interests in China has been taken by the British authorities. It has been decided that the Bri irish Consulate at Changsha, the capital of Hunan province whi ich was recently raided by Communist troops, will be closed during the low water season which starts at the beginning of December and lists for about four months, "The closing of the Consulate will take place about December 1.
The reason given for this action is to be found in the uncertainty of the situation at Changsha since the Communist raid. Hitherto, it has been the custom to station a shallow draft gunboat at Changsha throughout the your to afford protection to British interests there, but the present situation renders this step inadvisable owing to the disturbed conditions which might conceivably result in another Communist attack on the city.
When the water is low " gunboat cannot 0 moved away, a danger the city, and the British naval authorities have decided that they will mot risk a war vessel at (Changsha during the winter months The British Legation at Peking has decided to withdraw the Consul season, notifying British from the city daring the low water
firms with interests at Changsha to this effect. British firms are also being advised to withdraw their representatives, the indication doing that conditions Changsha are too unsafe for foreigners to remain there without adequate naval protection.
This decision is arousing much perturbation owing to the fact that for some years the busi news of this district, which is one of the richest in China, has been picking up after years of stagnation, The total foreign trade of Changsha in 1926 vas over Tls. 4,891,000 but the following yea owing to the disturbances district caused by the Nation or the then Cantonese—expedition against the northern militarist with Hankow as the immediate ob-Jective and the other cities in turn, the foreign trade figures slumped to less than Tis 150,000. Since then there have been signs of a recovery of its former trade position, and British commercial eixcles con: folder this decision a formidable blow.
British business are understood to view this decision with some con cam. Two British companies maintain regular steamer, services with Changsha, via Hankow and the Tungting Lake and communica-tons are continued even during the winter or low water season, British off company maintains:
large installation at Changsha and has large stocks on hand.
As exclusively reported in the "North-China Daily News" yester-ay, the Standard Oil Company has already decided to remove it, stocks from Changsha owing to the uncertainty of -the situation, but the American Government does not maintain a Consulate there. wre to. complete kow Rah Changsha is an important market for a high class of British piece goods which, according to the latest reports, still are in great demand frere, being quoted in the local auer tions. In addition it is the most important market for antimony in China, Though a treaty port, Changsha wen "open" in the same When it was deport a located for foreign business quarter, but for various reasons this site was never taken up. In years, when China was disorganized, fand taxes were farmed out to the highest bidder, this fact was taken advantage of by the local likin office, which established a collecting bureau just outside the foreign go downs, Their contention was that} mediately goodly passed from the foreign compounds they came into the interior of China and therefore had either to pay transit dues or, in the alternative, likin. Consular officials were kept busy with chis dispute for many years.
Capture of Wosuch by Communists Hankow, Aug. 20.
Tt has been reported that, Wusueh was captured on Sunday either by Communists or bandits. The 2nd! Regiment was sent down from here toeviet the raiders, now reported that the 2nd Regiment, assisted by the local militia, engaged the bandits one that there was fighting between Wasueh and Huangmet on the Anhui] border, about 30 miles to the north-
The situation at Hankow remains Aug. 1
The situation at Hankow is tinctly easier, and martial law is! becoming less' strict.
The French authorities have taken equate measures of defence, jong which is the building of two! conerete "pill-boxes" at strategic points in the Concession.
The Japanese authorities are also well prepared for any trouble, Aug. 19.
(Chinese advices from te that the Communists have retreated into Kiangsi that General Ho Chien's troops kil Jed about 4,000 of them and captur-2,000 rif_es and guns.
also said th in the reconnecting the Yangtze Valley cent trouble in Chany many of the Chinese, who were killed, wer? with the southern port, there is sam out that the city would have speared to death by the bandits. doubt That deme. importance, since it stands ina position Clearing house for goods coming from the western and parts of the southern districts of Hunan and ings provinces. Tu low water, it in simpler to reach Changteh on the other side of the Tungting Lake rom Changsha than by any oth route Whien the water is low the Siang River, the smaller middle Yangize River boats are unable to reach Changsha, on account, of the shallowness of the river, but most of the winter trade has, been done by tugs which. towed lighters. 'The principal foreign firms with offices or agencies there axe The 'APE, the Standard Oil Ca, But-torfeld' & Swire, Jardine Matheson £00, Arnhold & Ca, the B.A.T., Liggett & Myers, and the Nisshin Xisen Kaisha.
Most of these firms have their offices on the mainland and their foreign residences on the narrow {sland which is in the middle of the river, The British consulate is also on the island, Missions have thole premises. in the city and just fottside it. Changsha has been an Smportant centre for foreign missions, Death by shooting was not as frequent as at first thought, spears knives being the chief weapon Renter, "Red Menace to Wumue Hankow, Aug. 19, Two government gunboats, the Kiangtsin and the Kiangyuan, are being rushed from Hankow to Wusueh further down the Yangtze where a very threatening situation has arisen on account of the -outbreak of fresh bandit activities. It has been officially announced that|to these war vessels are to assist the troops stationed at Wusueh in rounding up Communist-bandit raiders and saving the city from suffering the fate of Changsha.
Telegraph communication with' the area having been cut off, it is not definitely known what is actually happening in the city, but the sudden dispatch of gunboats to the place. is indicative of a grave situation, Wusueh is a densely populated city between Kiukiang and Hankow on the Yangtze and the reported bandit attack there is causing little alarm. in the Wohan area which has just from a gigantic Commibnist scare. The apcopyright owns
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.