London, Mar. 31.
The Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, to-day refused. to answer a question as to whether the British Government are doing something to assist China in the present hostilities. Mr. Arthur Henderson, Labour member for Kingswinford, Staffordshire, put this question in the House of Commons, pointing out that individual aid to the Chinese Go ernment was allowed in a resolution passed by the League of Nations last October.
Dealing with the present situation on the war fronts in north China, Mr. Chamberlain briefly outlined the respective positions of the forces as known in England.
"There has been considerable fighting in south Shantung and on the line of the Tientsin-Pukow Railway north of the important railway junction of Hsuchow," he declared. "in this area, the Chinese appear to be counter-attacking with some success. Reports are conflicting, however, and the situation is obscure. Meanwhile, the Japanese advance northward along the Tientsin-Pukow railway is now halted and on this and other fronts, only minor operations have been proceeding. Guerilla attacks on Japanese lines of communication are continuing in a number of localities," he concluded.
Following this, Mr. Noel Baker, Labour member for Derby, asked if the Government intended to ask iheir representatives in China for reports on "the method of Japans warfare and systematic destruction of private and public property."
The Prime Minister replied that: "Some reports on this subject Have been received, ang I see no reason to call a special one. Any instances of destruction of British property by the Japanese or Chinese troops which have come to my notice are being taken up with the Japanese or Chinese Government."—Hgvas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.