Shanghai, Feb. 14.
(On February 1 a message of loyally was addressed by tele~ gram to the Prime Minister, Mr, Winston Churchill, by the Irish communities at Shanghai, Tientsin and Hankow. A message in reply has now been conveyed to the local Irish com= munity by HM. Consul General, through the President of St. Patrick's Society, on be~ half of the Prime Minister expressing thanks and apprecia~ tion for their encouraging of the Council about two weeks: Tater, but it was ascertained from foffieial circles yesterday that, this} Would not be the case. Although no official explanation was given, was learned that fears that a Chinese ratepayers organization taking orders from new Chinese authorities might} Intervene have prompted the orthodox ratepayers' group to elect its repre sentatives by mailing ballots to its members directly. It will be res called in this connection that, the new Chinese ratepayers' group bent] fon "readjusting" the present, Chinese ratepayers' status has established its office in Hongkew and that the present Chinese members and comitteemen of the Council have received threatening loiters -asking them to resign, It was learned yesterday that most of the old members of the General, 'Assembly of the Chinese Ratepayers: 'Association, numbering more than. 80, are in' Shanghai, contrary to a. report which stated that the reason why the Chinese elections had to be held by correspondence was that} most of the members were scattered. 'The situation is still worth watching. og the new ratepayers' group affiliat= ed with the new Chinese authori tes "has not yet actively begun its campaign. So far it has not made: Public its plan, if any. If the new Broup wants to participate in the Chinese elections there would probably be a Chinese election war as: force as the foreign one. quested that his views on Mr, Yasui's Proposals should similarly be set out in fil andi these appear in Appendix "We regret to have to report that after Jengthy discussion we were unable to agree upon a recommendation on this point, Mr. Yasui's proposal "That a firm or individual acquiring fand without the title deeds for it having been issued by the Chinese: authorities shall prove bona fide ownership," was put to the vote and. three of our members, Messrs, Glatho, Fumagalll and Yasul voted in favour' of the proposal, and against it three of our members, Messrs. Carney, Mitchell and Sauvayre, "As stated above, a further report will be submitted by the Committee after consideration of any. further proposals submitted by 7 Yasul, "(Signed) J. Sauvayre, Chairman, J, W, Carney, C. Fumagalll, Giathe, G. E. Mitchen, Chairman Appointed by
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.