CHINESE TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1927, Page 3

CHINESE TROUBLE.

[EY TELEGRAPH—PER PRE3B ASSOCIATION

SHANGHAI REPORT. SHANGHAI, March 10. Practically the entire Cantonese army is concentrating Lo attach N.iukilig. The Theatre of year is (has shifted one hundred miles north of yiinnghai. Cantonese are reported within thirty miles of Nanking. Heavy lighting is progressing. The direct menace to Shanghai is tempoiririlv removed, but the authorioties are not relaxing precautions and preparations. Fifty Spanish bluejackets landed yesterday and live hundred French eoloni-.il infantry from Indo-C'hina are duo shortly. Never in historv has here lieeri such an international as-

sembly of navies as now at. Shanghai harbour. Every nation and navy is The congestion is added h.v idle merchant men. Apprehension is felt of the fate of Shanghai. The f commander ol tin* Cantonese issued a declaration requesting Shanghai to observe strict neutrality promising protection of foreign fives and property and -requested foreign forces to nmin- ' tain peace within the settlement in order to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding. He concludes—Should it happen that stray bullets fall in the settlement the authorities are requested to view it as an accident land treat it with tolerance.

CHINESE REPORTS. SHANGHAI. March If.

Labour unrest continues to increase. It now transpires that the organisation behind the terrorist movement is not local, but consists of 150 trained agitators who (arrived from Hankow in the past few days. They captured most of the labour unions and are conducting tho strike campaign by intimidating and murder. There has been an liverage of one murder daily in Shanghai of foremen and other prominent workers who opposed the last strike. None of the assassins have been arrested. A favourite method of the terrorist is to send a. message to workers likely to obstruct them reminding what happened to so and so. In most cases the warning is sufficient. Strong efforts are making to disorganise the service. Telephones are tampered with, signal wires cut. Intimidation led to local drivers land firemen's staff being hugely depleted. Heavy fighting is reported westward of Taihi Lake, southward of lahing. Shantung troops are massing at Soot-how aud Changchow in order to meet the threatened, resumption of the Nationalist (attempt to cut the railway.