Tue Prime Minister said that as regards the situation at Hankow mothing had occurred to make the [Government alter its determination achieve its ends by negotiation. Mr. "O'Malley: at. this moment was awaiting a further communication ffrom- Afr. Chen and possibly the [Government by Thursday. would be ble to tell the House - something Emphasicing British: neutrality- in Hor information on various points, Chinese internal affairs the PrimelShanghai might pass but, on the to respect the sovereignty, independ-fence, territorial and administrative Integrity of Ching had not been redeemed, Sir Austen Chamberlain was not entirely to blame for that, jas he had to secure the ce-operation, lof the other Powers, Mr. Lloyd [George agreed that the Govern was Lound to act if there were a real per at Shanghai, and after the} Jevents at Hankow. was impos-foible t evacuate the British population at Shanghai: nevertheless, ho hoped that it would be possible to Javoid landing troops at Shanghai, All Very Well for the Others "It is all very well for Japan to] say that she is not sending troops," the ex-Premier declared, "but her distance from China is comparative ly short, Similarly, American troops. jate not far from' Shanghai." He lasked whether Sir Miles Lampson. lor Mr. O'Malley had asked for the landing: of troops.
Replying on behalf of the Government, Mr. Winston Churchill, referring to the utterances of Mr. Ramsi MacDonald and Mr, Lloyd George, said that the Government knew that! it could rely on the greatest measure lof support far beyond the limits of its own Party so long as that policy was limited to the safeguarding of British life and was not perverted lor distorted by any ulterior motives lor ambitions.
Mr. Churchill added that the movement of troops would be in accordance with the advice of the British representatives on the spot, but they had been told that their responsibility was limited to the protection of British life: they would be supplied with troops for that) purpose and no other.
Chancellor of the Exchequer jeriticized the action of Labour organizations in cabling to Mr. Eugene Chen. He contended: that it was much better that the responsible Government should be the sole channel and to attempt to build beneath official diplomacy tended to increase the elements of a fundamental division which it was the duty of every citizen to reduce.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.