§ 62. Lieut.-Colonel PARRYasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any official information to the effect that Japanese police attempted to board the British steamer "Kuilin," owner Mr. G. L. Shaw, and arrest certain Koreans suspected of being on the ship; whether, upon the refusal of the owners to allow them to do so, the Japanese consul complained that Mr. Shaw was concealing Korean political refugees in his house, which the Japanese police attempted to raid; whether the British consul in Mukden wired that he was coming down to see for himself that there were no Koreans in Mr. Shaw's house; whether there has been similar instances of Japanese attempting to seize Korean or other political refugees in British houses or on board British ships in Manchuria or China; whether His Majesty's Government proposes to make representations to Japan protesting against such action on the territory of a friendly Power; and whether any instructions have been given to His Majesty's consuls or other representatives 27 in the Far East which would lead to the surrender of Chinese or Korean political refugees to Japan without formal extradition proceedings?
Mr. HARMSWORTHAs regards points 1 and 2, His Majesty's Government were informed by His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Peking that the Japanese Consul-General at Mukden had complained privately to His Majesty's Consul General about the sympathetic attitude shown by Mr. G. L. Shaw towards Korean agitators. It was alleged that Mr. Shaw kept one of the upper rooms in his house at Antung as an asylum for Koreans, where they plotted against the Japanese, and that he allowed the Koreans to use his steamers as a means of flight and of communication with Korean Provisional Government at Shanghai. In view of these complaints Mr. Shaw was privately warned by His Majesty's Consul-General to be careful. His Majesty's Government have no official information, however, about an alleged attempt to board a British steamer, nor of an attempt on the part of the Japanese police to raid Mr. Shaw's house. His Majesty's Ambassador at Tokio, who has reported fully on the whole subject, has made no mention of this story. If the hon. and gallant Member has particulars, I shall be glad if he will supply them. As regards points 3 and 4 of the hon. and gallant Member's question, His Majesty's Government have no knowledge, and point 5 does not therefore arise at present. The answer to point 6 is in the negative.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs it not a fact that these people who are referred to as "Korean agitators" are really Korean patriots?