London, June 14.
In reply to a question in the House of Commons today by Mr. Adrian Moreing, Conservative member for Preston, Mr. R. A. Butler, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. said that, as a result of anti-British agitation, a number of strikes recently had occurred in British-owned factories situated in the neighbourhood of Shanghai.
The strikes, Mr.
Butler added, had occurred outside the International Settlement, The agitation, he went on, appeared to have been directed by the Japanese-sponsored Chinese administration in Pootung. There was reason to believe that certain Japanese elements were actively connected with it.
Representations, Mr. Butler continued, had been made both.to the local Japanese authorities, and to the Japanese Government in Tokyo, requesting that early steps be taken to put a stop to the activities in question.
Mr. Moreing asked if it were not a fact that parties had been organized by the Japanese Government to proceed to British mills, and to sup-Port and encourage industrial dis-Putes; and if, as a consequence, disputes had arisen which were not actually bona fide strikes, but had been fomented by the Japanese authorities.
Mr. Butler replied that he had given the facts as brought to the attention of Lord Halifax.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.