Epic of Chinese Heroism

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 31, 30 October 1937, Page 5

Epic of Chinese Heroism

-Press Assn.

'SUICIDE BATTALION' Hopeless Defence in Chapei Warehouse POINT-BLANK SHELL FIRE

(Bjr Telegraph-

— CopyrigEl >

(Received 3J, p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 28. The whole of Ghina is watching the epic stand by the Chinese lost battaliou in Chapei. Every man is wearing on his breast the "suicide insignia, ' ' the griin badge of Chinese soldiery who have taken the oath to die. They have converted a warehouse into a fortress, and many Japanese must die before the gallant defenders are liilled. Colonel A. P,. D. Telfer Smollett, Commander of the British Troops in Shanghai, 'and Brigadier-General Beaumont, Commander of the United States troops, have jointly, but unsuccessfully, appealed to the Chinese "suicide battaliou" in the warehouse, where they are gtill holding out, to disarm and accept sanetuary inside the Settlement rather than thTOw away their lives in a hopeless defence. Spectators saw the Japanese storm the warehouee timo and time again, only to be met with showers of ha*dgrenades and withering machine-gun fire.

The Japanese tried to dynamite the warehouse, but failed. They have now brought up three-inch artillery at point-blank range, so most likely it will be the "Suicide Legion's" last day. Fresh appeals to abandon the "death post" met with the following answer from the commander, Colonel Hsieh Chiug-yuan: "We stand to the last. Only if Marshal Chiang Kai-sh.ek orders Will we leave.'' Hundreds of well-wishers are' tele- , graphing Marshal Chiang Kai-shek urging him to prevent the sacrifice of such heroic men. Received 3 p.m. : Heartened by a message from the commander of the 88th Chinese Army — "Shed your last drop of blood. I and all my comrades salute you" — the Chinese "Suicide Battalion" is still holding out with the loss of only a few men. It is now stated that the Japanese do not intend to attack the warehouse, ostensibly owing to the danger to the adjacent British troops and the risk of blowing-up the Chapei gasometer. The battalion's position js almost unassailable by infantry.