CHINESE CONVICTS RELEASED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 185, 23 August 1937, Page 5

CHINESE CONVICTS RELEASED

-Pro«i Aiin.-

Evaeuation From World's Largest Gaol SHELLS HTT BUILDING

(By Telearaph-

-Copyrlttht. '

(Ueceived 23, 1.25 p ri. SHANGHAI, Aug. 22. Five hundred short-sentence Chinese prisoners from the Ward road gaul wero evacuated from the gaol liy a llvift of buses escorted bj* motjr-oyolc police and armoured cars. In the eourse of 6everal days' crossfire two shells struck the gaol, which is tlio world's largest, killing 10 and injuring 40. The^oseorfc took the prisoners to west Shanghai aiid released them, there being no Chinese authority to receive them. The prisoners doffed their lonvicfc garb in full view of the public and walked olf in clothes supplied by friends. The escort, iii pursuance of its plan to liberate the remaining prisoners, returned to the gaol, but Japanese sentries turned them back- because they could not permit the city to be infested with convicts, also declaring that the Settiement authorities had broken .their agreement to hand the prisoners over to the Chinese authorities. The Japanese claim to have established control in the Ward road area; therefore they are able to feed the remaining prisoners. The Italian gunboat Lapanto landed a inachine-gun unit to reinforce the British detence sector. The Interiiational ltellef Committee appeals throughout the world for fuuds for shelter, medicines and disinfectants for a million Chinese refugees. A Japanese spokesinan denies tliat the Japauese are occupyiug any foreign property. He declares that 800 there by agreement witb the mauageJapanese refugees afc Astor Houso are ment.