He pointed out' that since the withdrawal of the Kuomintang forces and officials from Kiangsu, Chekiang and Anhwei more than a year ago, foreign interests within those three provinces have received adequate protection from the new Chinese Government. On the other hand, his colleagues have been assassinated in Foreign Settlements. in Shanghai. If it is not because the Settlement authorities are hostile to the new government and therefore intentionally allowed the assassins to go un-"2, punished then those crimes constitute definite proof of the inefficiency of Settlement authorities. This alleged inefficiency has caused the Nanking Government and the Greater Shanghai City Government and Japanese authorities to make the various representations.
Mr. Lien saw the "first step towards awakening" on the part of the Settlement authorities in Shanghai in the joint proclamation issued on May 11 discouraging political activities, but he took strong exception to the word "neutrality" mentioned in the document. He took pains to explain the status of the Foreign Settlements in Shanghai by quoting international treaties to which these settlements owe their existence, stating that the Settlements are neither "leased territory' nor a territory ceded to the Powers.
Settlements Are Chinese Territory "Whether you judge from treaties or focis, the Foreign Settlements in Shanghai are the Chinese territory within which the Chinese Government can perform administrative duties to the fullest extent, Now that the surrounding areas of the Settlements have been brought under the control of this government, if the Settlement authorities wish to maintain their status quo and peace and order they must recognize new facts with sincerity by effecting de facto ce-operation with this government and by giving satisfactory replies to all the five demands recently presented by Mayor Fu.
"If they still continue neglecting their duties and maintaining an unfriendly attitude, then this government cannot but take further appropritite steps based on the principle of self-defence. until the lives and property of all Chinese and foreigners living in the Foreign Settlements have been safe-guarded." Quoting two international treaties signed between China. and the Powers, Mr. Lien stated that Foreign Settlements such as those in Canton, Foochow, Amoy, Ningpo and Shanghai are merely areas marked out for foreigners to reside and the municipal administrations in those areas are the organizations commissioned by the Chinese government. Authorities of these Settlements must keep abreast with time and the reasons for the establishment of Foreign Settlements given more than 70 years ago are practically non-existent today.
Mr. Lien concluded by asserting that the administrations in Foreign Settlements should therefore undergo fundamental changes immediately. He agreed to the various statements made by the Japanese officials in regard to this question and expressed the hope that the propaganda (by publications in Foreign Settlements) directed against his government and Japanese be stopped.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.