now Ove Own Connesroxnest London, Jan. 6.
The political parties are gradual-Jy defining their position over China, The attitude of the Government is pretty well known. The views of the Liberal Party have not yet been put on record in any very concrete form, although Mr, Lloyd George has issued his now famous warning against war which was annotated by the "Daily News" to the effect that the British on the pot at all events ought to be protected. Thiy week the National)
Executive of the Labour Party has ierned the following manifesto:-
"At Margate on October 14, 1926, annual conference of the Party] welcomed the national and dotogrutie tendencies among the Chinese people, Tt urged the Brilish Government to watch for very opportunity 10 get into Siplomatic. relations with whatever Govgrnment may have authority in China and open nogotietions at the earliest possible moment with a view to the revision of British Treaty relations with Chinas and, further, to mako its policy clear to the other nations involved, On December 7, 1025, in the course of san interview with the Prose given in the House of Commons, Mr, J. Ramsay MacDonald, the Chairmen of the Parliamentary Labour Party, aid that the Canton Government, had reached a point where it could be recognize! for the purposes of mogotiation, "Shortly afterwards, Mr, Miles Lampron, the new British Minister in China, began conversations wi the Canton Government, and the! British Charge d'Affaires in Poking} egmmunicated to the representatives the Treaty Powers a memoran-dul lofining the policy which Gkeat, Britain suggests should. be followed in China, "The National Executive desires to, take this opportunity of stating the policy of the Party with regard to the situation. Of the ity between the contending forees in the Chinese Civil War, and do nothing—by offers of advice, money or arms—which might appear to any of the parties to be a breach of that neutrality; they must not ply abandon the older, in favour]
the newer, forms of obtaining powers in China, But as the Britfsh people have made up their mind that they are not going to encourage their Government to eubdue China by force of arms, so the British Government must give the Chinese people the best possible opportunity to place their Government upon an independent Nationalist footing.
"Whilst abstaining from any] diplomatic act which might be interpreted as support of a policy of the partition of China, it should put snd maintain our relations with the Canton Government on a friendly footing at the earliest possible moment. As there can be no stable Government without funds, it should be announced that it is anxious to Jcome to any fair agreement on this subject with the Canton Government. It should enforce strictly the China Order in Council of 1925, and urge other Powers to adopt similar measure "Secure Ca-operation"
"It should attempt te secure, in ce-operation with other nations con-fan absolute and effective) prohibition of the importation of arms into Chins, end the embargo should be extended to include materials which are known to be in constant use for warlike purposes. The existing prohibition of export of arms frm this country to China should be made absolutely effective directly and through other countries. Finally, the Government, when it has once dejeided to pursue a policy of reconciliation and justice towards the Chinese people, should not be deferred from going forward with that policy to its logical end be-contents, of the British '"document}eause some other Government may communicated to the Treaty Powers}/ refuse to march with it, or because M, Emile Vandervelde, of the the jingo elements in these islands. and calls upon the Government to devise "and pursue a policy which will remove "present ill" will and secaro friendship. The Conference welcomes. the national and democratic tendencies among the Chinese copie. It urges the British Government to observe the strictest neutrality as between the contending forces in the Chinese civil war, and to abstain from any act which might appear to any the parties to be a departure from that neutrality; to prevent the importation of arms and war material into China by British subjects, in accordance with the Order in Coun-fi of 1925; to watch for every opportunity to get into diplomatic relations with whatever Government, may have authority in China, and open negotiations at the earliest possible moment with a view to the revision of British treaty relations with China, ling the abolition lof extraterritorial privileges; and further that the Government should ike ite policy clear to the other nations involved."
The only novel feature of this Particular document is the very stupid suggestion in the offer to withdraw British men-of-war from Chinese territorial waters "upon an agreement as to the security of the lives of British residents." This is 'a fair instance of the pure theorist 1g of Labour polities. There is no} party in China who at the present moment could guarantee the lives of any British residents anywhere and the suggestion that our compatriots should be left to the merey of any casual mob is hardly one} which the public would have ox-rected to find endorsed by Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, was, of course, essential that] the Labour Party should issue some statement on the China situation, because 10 many offshoots of the party have been issuing declarations of an extremist nature during the last few weeks,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.