CHINESE TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1927, Page 2

CHINESE TROUBLE.

[bt Telegraph—per press association.] A GENERAL STRIKE SHANGHAI, March 21. A general strike has commenced. Trams and buses ceased at noon and other services are following, including Chinese ' concerns. Nationalist flags were hoisted in thousands throughout the International French Settlement, welcoming the Cantonese. There was considerable rioting in the native city, Cantonese sympathisers captming three native police stations. Many rioters were shot and there were scleral uglv incidents on the settlement boundaries, rioters attempting to force an entry. British sentries’ outposts on the boundaries of the inter-settlement were quadrupled in anticipation of mobs storming the barricades. The bulk of Shanghai defence forces -ire occupying the lines near the international settlement awaiting Cantonese forces. Seven thousand are marching on Shanghai, but are not expected to attempt to enter the foreign settlements owing to the presence of British troons who have orders to msist. SHANGHAI. Marqh 21.

Police were compelled to make (numerous baton charges to clear tho streets of truculent crowds in the international city. French authorities have erected barbed harriers aer<m>v the few remaining streets, hitherto rjnbarbed, bordering on the international settlement, and are strongly guarded hv sailors, marines, police and volunteers, who have now been mobilised and heavily armed with maghine-guns and tear bombs.

’ The Municipality has d offered a state of emergency. Naval parties have landed from all the warships in the river. Three Punjabis wheeling a truck just outside the settlement boundary were fired upon from an alleyway and all wOjinded. One subsequently died, but the others are not serious. Naval parties landed include British, French. Dutch. Spanish, Italian, American and Japanese. The Suffolk Regiment has been detailed for defence inside the settlement.

NANKING NEWS. HONG KONG. March' 21. A naval wireless from Nanking .says telegraphic communication between Nanking aiul Shanghai is severed. The railway is blocked with fjronps. Information from Russian aviators who lmd undertaken aeroplane reconnaissance is to the effect that tho southerners attacking Nanking from the south are not yet within forty miles. Strict martial law is enforced iu the city from to-night. SOUTHERNERS ENTER SHANGHAI. (Received this day at 8 a.rn.i SHANGHAI, March 21. The city virtually passed under Nationalist control this morning, without any fighting, the outcome ol an arrangement by General Pihshihchuei) commanding the 'anti-Red Slumtungites and Cantonese leaders. The vanguard of the Cantonese forces iS"aftßl five miles south of the foreign incuts. The situation is tense. The entire Shanghai defence, military and naval police mobilised in anticipation of riotous celebrations.

A later message says the Southern troops are now entering the city, Pihshihehueu having thrown in his hand.j He is reported to be refuging in the French concession.

Southerners captured Chengchow forty miles north-west of Soochow, thus cutting the railway communications with Shanghai. SHANGHAI, March £A. Tho capture of Shanghai places the Southerners in nominal control of China, south of the Yangtse, except Nanking. It is not yet clear whether tho arrangements whereby Shanghai was taken includes Nanking. All is fairly quiet in the foreign settlements. There is no anxiety among foreigners to the presence of troops. This morning twelve hundred American marines with colours flying, fixed Bayonets mid machine guns marched through the settlement at Shanghai. Volunteers were ordered to stand fey in readiness for mobilisation as a precautionary measure.

GENERAL STRIKE STARTS. SHANGHAI, Alarch 21. The Nationalist forces have occupied Lunghua, which is only four miles from the French Concession at Shanghai. A general strike lias begun. NATIONALISTS OCCUPATION. (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) SHANGHAI, Alarch 21. The Nationalist occupation of the native part of Shanghai which may now be considered an accomplished fact, took the dual form of a military advance from Alinliong by a few thousand Nationalist troops, and effective internal action by Nationalist gunmen in mufti, who on a pre-arranged signal, early in the morning, began it reign of terror in Hog districts of C’liapu and Nantao. They seized several native police stations by surprise attacks and set fire to one. The occupants of one station resisted and beat off the attackers, inflicting several casualties. There was a certain amount of indiscriminate firing in the settlement itself. Portuguese volunteers motoring to join their company being, daring fired oii twice hv Nationalist gunmen, one bullet smashing the windscreen and another lodging in the woodwork behind the driver’s shoulder.

A British cigarette factory at Pootung, on the other side of the river from Shanghai, was entered by armed intimidators who forced out the employees at the revolver point. Sailors were landed to protect the factory.

The International Concession authorities are not yet in touch with the Nationalists.. An attempt to secure contact has so far been unsuccessful, resui’ting merely in the disappearance of two Chinese intelligence agents. A continuous rumble of firing, including machine guns and little artillery. is clearly, audible from the direction of the native city, where the absence of any kind of authority is encouraging the disorderly ei'ements to take advantage of the disturbed conditions. Bullets and some shrapnel liavo fallen in the International Concession, one Russian and several Chinese civilians being wounded.

TENSION AT SHANGHAI. (Received this dav at 9.30 a.m.) SHANGHAI, Alarch 21. Confusion is increasing hourly and the situation is fraught with grave danger. A thousand United States marines, three hundred Japanese and other nations’ forces have been landed to assist to protect the international settlement. There have been several incidents in the international and French settlements, accompanied by bloodshed. Civilians at Chapei have embarked on an orgy of looting, prefaced by the seizure of all native police stations, with their stocks of arms and anumraie tion, which were used to kill the police who fled to'the settlement begging an entry. They were first disarmed, knt scores were killed. Thousands of civilians are crowding, the entrance to the gates pleading for permission to enter. There were several minor riots in the main streets of the settlement in the afternoon. Bricks and missiles were hurled at the police from the tops of buildings, causing minor injuries. The buildings were cleared by the authorities hurriedly, and additional barricades were erected at the inter-sections of Nanking road.

Kuomiutang’s flag was hoisted at tho

Post Office and other Government buildings.

COUNCIL’S DECLARATION. SHANGHAI, March 21. A declaration of emergency issued at noon, warns against loitering in the streets and forbids assemblies and jfrmonstraions without the Council’s nf'h-i ten permission. It advises residentsto keep to their houses during the hows of darkness. The Council declares its intention of , continuing to co-operate with the Chinese authorities, and directing all energies and resources towards maintaining order, and ensuring the safety of life and property within the area under its control. It says the Council will rigorously suppress all forms of violencd and disorder, and to this end will not Wsitate to use the means at its disposal^ Finally, the Council warns against, the activities of professional ngitaJPTs, who are taking advantage of the'disturbed conditions to preach doctrines of violence and class hatred, at a tjrmef when toleration and moderation Ajiorc’ • than eto r is ngeessarv.