CHINESE TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1927, Page 2

CHINESE TROUBLE.

[by telegraph —per rnr.ss association.] CHINESE FORCES CLASH. SHANGHAI, April 5. The Nationalist thrust towards the Yellow River is now meeting with resistance from the Northerners 'who counter-attacked on the third and fourth, and captured Kwanticn after heavy fighting. Nationalists are rushing up reinforcements. Two bundled wounded have arrived at Nanking. cantoxese adyaxcixg. SHANGHAI, April I. The situation in China generally is now most disturbing. Reports from all parts of the country tell of uprisings ami of outrages against all classes of foreign life and property, and this, despite the presence of the large international military and naval forces.

The trouble appears temporarily to have reverted to Hankow and other Yangtze River ports, and it threatens to spread northwards to the Treaty Ports.

Cliang Tso Lin. the ALinchu leader, is now desperately warring with the Cantonese in the Anhwei province, in order to stem the “Rod” tide, hut his victories arc being counter-balanced by the activities of the plain-clothes agitators. who are striving for a repetition of the Nanking outrages at Pekin. at Tientsin and at other places, where there are foreigners congregated. The evacuation of foreigners continues everywhere. foreign labourites. SHANGHAI. April o. 'The arrival at Hankow, from Canton. of International Labour delegates. including Alumni. Kmwden and AVoriot, is reported. Their arrival has prompted a revival of the antiforeign demonstrations. The delegates including Russian speakers, have addressed huge mass meetings, denouncing Imperialism, and advocating the over throw of the Right (or Conservative) AYing of the Kuomintang. • NANKING OUTRAGES. SHANGHAI. April 5. Further details of the Nanking outrages equal the horrors of the Boxer Rebellion. These outrages mainly were committed by uniformed coolies upon white women and girls, principally on American and Japanese women. The reports of those and of other i decencies have aroused the indignation of the foreigners throughout China to a high pitch of fury. JAI’S DEPART FKOAI MaXKOAV SHANGHAI, April o. A Japanese naval wireless message from Ilankow says that it is expected that the evacuation oi all the Japanese there, except the staffs of two firms, which are surrounded by pickets will he completed during the day. ,S far. 2o Japanese have taken refuge on the British warship, Bee. SHANGHAI, April 5.

A serious situation lias developed til Hankow, necessitating the evacuation of the Japanese residents there, following on a mob attack on Japanese marines at Hankow. A horde oi labourers stormed the Japanese Concession. necessitating the landing of two hundred Japanese marines, who drove the mob from the Concession. Ibis clash resulted in the death of seven Chinese. There were injuries to a number of the marines.

Five Japanese and live of the marines were tarried off by the mob, a.ml their whereabouts are unknown. One marine was later found dead, floating in the river, in a mutilated state. ChinCM surrounded the Concession, hut they were held back by the Japanese marines. The Japanese Admiral a Hankow refused a request by the Chinese authoriteis to withdraw the marines. Following this, Chinese Guards, of the Eighth Army, surrounded the Concession in order to check the mobs, but instead they fired on the marines.

Two Japanese destroyers and two cruisers have been despatched to Hai kow to assist in the evacuation.

Later reports state that the mob is getting out of hand at Hankow.

QUIET RESTORED AT HANKOW. SHANGHAI. April 4. A Navy wireless from Hankow gives details of the mob rising, on the 3rd. inst. (Sunday). The disturbance was caused by some Chinese children abusing some Japanese bluejackets, who were strolling on the Bund. A mob then threateningly invaded the eoncession. A Japanese warship thereupon landed two hundred marines. These di-r----out. the mob from the Concession. The Concession is now guarded by Nationalist troops. Everything was quiet at Hankow al midnight. The Southern commander has apologised to the Japanese Consul at Hankow.

WAR SHIPS ASSEMBLING SHANGHAI, April 5. There arc already five warships at Hankow. Three more are hastening thither. Three more leave to-morrow morning escorting three Japanese steamers, which are taking up food supplies. FOREIGN SEIZURE. SHANGHAI. April 4. At Hankow volunteers and police were mobilised, and they surrounded, and then raided a notorious waterfront block of houses in the Hankow district of Shanghai. The police were hammering away at the houses while volunteers with machine guns and ar motired cars held the streets. A force of volunteers, one thousand strong, under an American officer, received the following order: “You must allow none to escape! I'.so your rifle butts first—but there must he no shooting. unless it is definitely ordered.” The force formed a double cordon round the bock, which is one containing some hundreds of houses, in which the police lielieve that extremists’ arms and ammunition was stored. When the doors were not ojiened by those in the houses the police hammered their way in or they gained entry by the use of Fire Brigade ladders. There was great excitement among the Chinese crowd.

This search is stated to be a ]>art of a programme for a rigorous cleaningup of the settlement, preparatory to advancing the military defence lines into Chinese territory.

It is understood that the latter project of an advance will certainly occur if the Powers’ probable demands in connection with the Nanking affair are not fulfilled. A threat to invade and to take over the Chinese City in the vicinity of Shanghai may even be included as a step preparatory to any ultimatum sent in connection with Nanking.

AMERICANS FIRE ON COOLIES. SHANGHAI, April 4. An American naval guard, aboard the American steamer Chinan, at Chungking, fired on a number of coolies aboard a sampan on tbo Yangtze, who were trying to take possession of a steamer. Three of the coolies were wounded,

AMERICAN VIEWS

vßcco ; ved this day at 8.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, April o. Cabinet has decided to concentrate it Tientsin in case of emergency all Americans in Northern China. The vill he protected there as refugees mm Central China are now protected iv American forces at Shanghai. President Coolidge is disappointed so ) V er France’s refusal to participate j von unofficially at the disarmament inference, but he intends to proceed with the conference, Britain and Japan having agreed to participate and there is still a hope that Italy may bo represented. CASUALTY REPORT. ►SHANGHAI, April 5, Tito latest estimate of the casualties ns the result of the recent Sino-Japan-ese clash in Hankow are ten Chinese killed, many wounded and two esc killed, two wounded, while seven are held as hostages. British property is so far untouched and the former British Concession remains quiet.