§ 12. Mr. TAYLORasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if any armoured cars under the orders of the 1205 officer commanding the Shanghai Defence Force have been used on the roads outside the settlement; and, if so, for what purpose?
§ 13. Mr. TAYLORasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if any new roads have recently been constructed by the Shanghai municipality outside the limits of the international settlement; and, if so, whether the sanction of the Chinese authorities was obtained for the construction of such roads?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONThe Land Regulations of the international settlement at Shanghai give the municipal council the power to acquire land and construct roads outside settlement limits. The last occasion of which I have any knowledge when arty such roads were constructed was the winter of 1924–25.
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSCould the hon. Gentleman say ashen the work which was carried out in 1924 and 1925 was approved?
§ 16. Colonel WEDGWOODasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he is aware that Hsu Yuan, a Chinese Commissioner for Foreign Affairs at Shanghai, has protested to the senior Consul against British troops being stationed outside the concession; and what answer has been sent to this protest?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONWhen the Chinese authorities were informed of the pending stationing of troops on the outskirts of the international settlement at Shanghai, the Commissioner for Foreign Affairs entered a pro forms protest, but in conversation with His Majesty's Consul-General he expressed himself as satisfied with the explanations given.
§ 21. Mr. TREVELYANasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any fresh Note has been received from Mr. Chen in relation to the British occupation of Shanghai; and whether any reply has been made?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONYes, Sir. Mr. Chen and Mr. O'Malley have ex- 1206 changed communications on this subject, but the texts are not available. In any case the substance adds nothing to the statement made to the House by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 21st February.
§ 4. Mr. MARDY JONESasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the fact that the city of Shanghai has been successively captured by General Chang Tsung-Chang and Marshal Sun Chuan-Fang within the last few years; is he aware that the Shanghai international settlement was adequately protected on these occasions without the assistance of British troops; and will he state on what grounds similar arrangements for the security of the settlement have not been made and British armed forces employed at Shanghai during the present civil wars in China?
Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSONWhen Shanghai was captured by Chang Tsung-Chang in January, 1925, it was necessary to land a large number of naval forces to assist the local volunteers in a safeguarding of the international settlement, and the despatch of troops from Hong Kong was authorised. The town was peacefully occupied by Sun Chuan-Fang in October, 1925, on the retirement of the Mukden troops. There was no fighting on this occasion, and no special precautions were found necessary. As regards the third part of his question, I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's speech in this House on 10th February.