§ 6. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is in a position to announce when the British forces will be withdrawn from Shanghai?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Sir Laming Worthington-Evans)No, Sir, this must depend on the local situation. But of the additional battalions sent to China, three will have been withdrawn by the end of this trooping season.
§ Mr. THURTLEIs not the local situation sufficiently satisfactory now to enable all troops to be withdrawn?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSIt is so much improved that a great many of our troops have been or are in course of being withdrawn.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODDid I not see in the papers that the people in Shanghai are proposing to raise a volunteer force to take the place of our troops?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSThere has always been a volunteer force in Shanghai.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs not that volunteer force now held to be sufficiently strong to render the presence of our own troops no longer necessary?
§ Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANSNo, Sir.
§ Mr. WARDLAW-MILNEIs it not the fact that this volunteer force is composed very largely, if not almost entirely, of British subjects, and throws a considerable strain on the mercantile community?