GATE TO SHANGHAI.

Grey River Argus, 18 February 1927, Page 5

GATE TO SHANGHAI.

OPEN TO CANTONESE. Northern Army's Retreat. Th . • Feb. l(i. A rani LT '’“ bcatioi ‘ s °f H somewhat ith mil' U ‘T PeCted in I South 7 situation in Chekiang. The ’Southerners ehum to have eaptured ' Mwhow. torty-five m ile 3 southwest of LTL''-- " , '"- b ‘ f <"me,l quarters heT thlS . ls , tl Q e, also that a southern T T'' i S ,Uv ” l,, P in g the same reg- ’ t '" ,llKk wh at troops are partieipatni K in it. is unknown. Probably thev are those whom it was either inifiossie or uiuleaua.biv to withdraw northward tor the defence of Hankow. Canton Army. RESUMES ADVANCE. Despite the general belief that Hang ehow was safe in Sun Chuan Fang’s hands, and the immediate threat of the C antonese was temporarily removed, the staggering news has been received locally that Sun’s line of defence has lo en cut within six miles of Hangchow, and his forces are retreating in disorder to Shanghai. The last line of defence between Hangchow and Shanghai is Sun King, thirty miles from Shanghai. FOREIGN feeling at shanghai. WITH THE NORTHERNERS. SHANGHAI, Feb. 16. It is hoped that a desperate attempt to hold the advance of the Cantonese will be made. In the event of failure, the Cantonese will be within thirty miles of Shanghai. The gravity of the situation is the worst for many weeks, with the possibility of the complete defeat of Sun ami Shanghai as easy prey for the Cantonese. Use of Shanghai Railway. FOR NORTHERN RETREAT. PEKING, February 17. i The Shanghai-lTang<*how Railway has «usp<*nile<l its passenger service. It is understood this is due to a con- | rentration of the rolling stock being! made at the city of Hangchow (100 I miles south of Shanghai) in view of the 1 possibility of General Sun Euan Fang’s) Northern troops falling back on Shanghai from the Hangchow vicinity. Gateway to Shanghai. OPENING TO CANTONESE. (Received February 17 at 8.5 p.m.) l PEKING, Feb. 16. \ Hangchow City, the gateway to \ -uighai. 100 miles inland, and connect'MSwith it by a railway which has been /th Aacred incessantly by the Cantonese | forces for the past month without avail, against the Northern forces of General Sun Chuan Fang (who is Shanghai’s Military Governor), is about to fall. General Sun Chuan Fang is commandeering every engine and every carriage in preparation to make a retreat. The Cantonese are expected to capture the city in a few days. Hangchow messages say: “It is officially believed that the “Reds” are finally bidding for possession of Shanghai, but whether they will actually attempt to enter it is uncertain, as they fear labour troubles, iind consequent curtailment of the taxable element.’’ The foreigners are not disturbed by the reports, owing to the presence of British soldiers. Hankow (up the Yangtze) continues to be silent regarding the negotiations between Mr O’Malley and Mr Chen.

CANTON VICTORY.

Hankow City Captured. NORTHERNERS TO STAND NEAR SHANGHAI. SHANGHAI, February 17. Reliable reports state that Hangchow has been eaptured by the Cantonese. General Sun Chuan Fang, Northern Commander, is retreating northward. A number of his forces at Ningpo (a seaport east of Hangchow) were surrounded, but they escaped seawards. where they commandeered three ships. General Sun Chuan Fang is now forced to make his last line of defence at Sunkiang, which is forty miles from Shanghai, to the southward, on the railway to Hangchow. NORTHERN COMMANDER. CLEVER CAMOUFLAGE. SHANGHAI, Feb. 16. General Sun Chuan Fang (Northern Military Commander) in a statement concerning the American proposal for neutralisation of Shanghai, says: The proposal is undoubtedly prompted by a sincere desire to help China, and avoid further outrages by revolutionists, but unfortunately Mr Coolidge has not been advised as to the conditions. Sluinghai is Chinese territory, for the peace and order of which I am fully responsible. The strength of my reorganised armies is not only sufficient to maintain peace and order in Shanghai, but also forms the basis of my plans for the restoration of Kiangsu. 1 am in full co operation with Chang Tso Lin. who is advancing to attack the Cantonese. The Government of Kiangsu resents discus sion of any plans as regards Shanghai with any foreign revolutionaries. We have assumed and maintained our power of responsibility and until we have failed, no foreign Power is justified in premising diplomatic proposals upon such failure. Furthermore, in pursuit of our purpose to maintain order we | must have freedom of action, and can k only regard the effort of any foreign I Power to place limitations upon us as ■ :11l net of intervention favouring our f ami their enemy. The facts of the sitl nation are that the minor political par-

ty which had never controlled more than one city in the south, became associated with the Bolsheviki, who seek . world revolution, so they can experiment with their social and economic ideas which have failed in their own country, but which they are now imposing on China. Here they have destroyed property in five provinces, poisoned minds of our youth, abused our sense of religion, stopped our trade, debased our currency, and have now involved us in the possibility of war with foreign Powers. We must fight them as we would fight the plague, and we will succeed. ’ ’ No Rupture. CHEN’S FINAL REQUEST. THAT BRITISH FORCES SHALL NOT BACK ANY FACTION. LONDON, Feb. 16. With reference to the Hankow negoH* nt ions, the Foreign Office explains that there was never any rupture. Mr O’Mnlley and Mr Chen reached an agreement during the week-end, and a signature was expected immediately, but at the last moment Chen sought fuller explanation of passages in Sir A. Chamberlain’s speech. Mr O’Malley felt he could not reply off-hand, therefore he cabled the Foreign Office for a com plete statement of the position, and requested new instructions. The apparently unexpected last minute interruption of negotiations, due to Chen’s queries, had been misinterpreted by the press of China as a definite rupture While the delay in transmission of Mr O’Malley’s lengthy message accounts for the absence of official news here, long after the press announced the rupture. It is understood that Cabinet discussed China to-day, and the newest hitch is not regarded in any way ns an insuperable obstacle to settle ment. A FAIR REQUEST. LONDON, Feb. 16.' The “Morning Post” says it understands that Chen’s latest demand is an .issurance that British troops and warships shall under no circumstances be used against or in support of any Chinese party representing either north or south. The paper says: ‘‘The demand is so skilfully worded that any reply might be taken as an acknowledgment of the ight of the Cantonese to hold a brief for the rest of China.” TALK OF AN ULTIMATUM. BY LONDON PAPER. LONDON, February 17. The ‘‘Daily Express’’ states that its opinion is that Mr Eugene Chen is simply raising new points in order to delay his signing of the agreement. It adds: “This may soon be put to a test in a manner that will set all doubts at rest. DEMAND FOR FULL FACTS. OTTAWA, Feb. 16. A motion asking for the production of all correspondence between the Canadian and British Governments regarding the Chinese disturbances was defeated in the Commons to-day, after Premier King had voiced his opposition. He said he was sure that , the British Government would not desire the publication of correspondence of a confidential nature at the present.