CHINESE TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 March 1927, Page 3

CHINESE TROUBLE.

[BY TELEGRAPH—PER TRES3 ASSOCIATION.] CHINESE NEWS. PICKING, .Alnrclt- 4. n.o only new military development to-day is the news that General Chany 'I sung Chany (Shantung leader) is strengthening tlio garrison at .Soochow, on the Yangtze, 50 miles west of Shanghai. This move is dictated by the fear ol a possible .southern attempt via the \4 est laihu Lake, to cut his main line of communications, namely the Shanghai-.Minkiug railway. Meanwhile large numbers of Shantung troops eontimie to arrive from Tsingkno at Shanghai, and they are pouring into Sunkiang (just south of Shanghai), replacing General Sun Chuan Fang’s Shanghai troops. The latter are arriving in the Shanghai area in considerable hunches. They are a poor lot. looking fit for anything hut fighting. The Shantung authorities are wisely diverting them from the city to Woosung (20 miles north of Shanghai) prior to sending them to north of the Kiangsu Province. STIA NGI i .41 lIA PP INNINGS. (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) SHANGHAI, March I. Hsuyuan (Chinese Commissioner of Foreign Affairs) sent a letter to the Senior Consul strongly protesting against the stationing of British troops outside the settlement boundaries, and asking for their immediate withdrawal. The protest is regarded as a proforma] affair, dictated by Hsnyuan’s desire to keep in. favour with the Southerners.

The steam launch Afcifo was commandeered by Chinese soldiers and taken to their own stream. The American Admiral who was notified, of the seizure despatched sixty marines to follow the launch, which they overtook five miles away. The soldiers, although armed, did not fire and surrendered the launch to the marines.