§ 71. Mr. TREVELYANasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information to give to the House regarding the situation in China, particularly with reference to the threat of military operations made by the diplomatic representatives of the Powers at Peking last week?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONOn the 9th March a Shantung Naval Flotilla operating against the National Forces defending Peking attempted to force an entry into the Tientsin River, and bombarded the Taku forts at the mouth of the river. The Nationalist Commander of the forts closed the river to navigation in violation of the Protocol of 1901 between China and the Powers by firing on all passing vessels and by laying mines. On 10th March the representatives of the Treaty Powers in Peking notified the Chinese Government of the necessity of removing the obstacles to free navigation in and out of Tientsin, reserving their right to take action themselves to that end for the maintenance of the Protocol. Similar notifications were conveyed to the respective headquarters of the various Chinese forces engaging in hostilities at the entrance to the harbour of Tientsin. Although a few foreign merchant vessels have passed in and out by local arrangement, full effect has not yet been given to the demands of the Protocol Powers, and on 13th March two Japanese destroyers proceeding up river to Tientsin were fired on by Chinese from the forts at the entrance to the river, and retired. His Majesty's Government are in consultation with His Majesty's Minister in regard to the situation created by these incidents.