MASSACRE AT SHEKICHEN.

Marlborough Express, Volume LX, Issue 229, 28 September 1926, Page 5

MASSACRE AT SHEKICHEN.

TOWN WIPED OUT BY BANDITS A MISSIONARY' 9 STORY. 'By Teiegraph — Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, Sept. 28. The fact that the massaere of the inhabitants of the town of Shekichen, in China, which is reported iu yesterday's cablegrams, was tho work of bandits and was not con-nect-ed with the civil wars which are taking plaoe in different parts of the country, was emphasised by tlie Rev. II. 9. Conway. Mr Conway is reported in tlie cable message as being oue of the missionaries in Shekichen, but he returned to New Zealand on deputatiou work two vears ago and is now in Auckland. He was- working at the Shekichen mission station for 28 vears. ' Mr Conway said that tlie massaere was probably the result of resistance on the part of the inhabitants to the entry of tlie bandits. As a rule the tovvns opened their gates to the bandits, but if a town should resist and some of the bandits should be- killed then their comrades would wreck ai terrible vengean.ce . Althoug'li the massaere" is not directly connected with the civil wars, Mr Conway said that the disorganisation and lacfc of any coutrolling authority liaving real pewer resulting from the wars liad emholdened the bandits. There had been trouble with bandits at Shekichen for twelve years past. Before the civil wars commenced the missionaries had upon occasion rem.ained awake and «fullv dressed throughout the night in fear of the bandits, but in the past the town liad ahvays been able to repel tlie attaekers. There were dug-outs at the rear of the mission station, to be used as plaees of refuge should tlie town ever he taken and sacked by bandits. There was a fine military officer at Shekichen, and be liad recently called on tlie missionaries to assure them that nothing would be allotved to- happen to them.

Mr Conway was at Shekichen at the time. of the Boxer rebellion, and at that time the missionaries spent 17 clays in liiding and only escaped with their lives as if by g. miracle. Mr Conway added that even at that time the conditions were better than at present, as there was a central authority to wliom, appeal oculd be made. Referring to tlie menac© of ehe Bolshevist propaganda in China, Mr Conway islalidj Ithat formerly the people had shown some measiire of gratitude and appreciation for tlie work of the missionaries, but ihe anti-foreign propaganda directed from Moscow had changed this. The Bolshevik pr-opaganda coukl be read only by students, but as they followed the directions gi.ven them like sheep, and as they were spread throughout ihe whole of China, their influenoe was feilt every where. As a result of the ill-feeling thus caised the J i vos of foredgners were grfatly endangered in plaees where they would formerly have been quite seenre f'ro-ri

"All tliis time t-I.e Powers liave been acting; on the foolish assumption that Pekin rules China," Mr Conway eontir.ued. "As s, matter of fact Pel sin does not rule ten yards ou.tside the Oity. The whole thing is a pure farce." Mr Conwty added that he was glad to no'tice in a cable messagje a few days ag;o a suggestion that Great Britain might recognise a nqmher of the Provisional Governments and abanlon the pretence that Pekin really represented China. If Great Britain were to co-operate With those- who actually were in power a great improvtement might he effecbed arnong the real rulers of China, such as Sun-chuan-fang, who controlled Shanghai and the five neighboring provinces and who was reported to be- o-pposing the "Red" fcrces yigoro-usly. Continuing Mr Conway criticised the non-intervention policy of the United States, and stated ' that in oue town Ameriea had refused to intervene on behalf of 21 of her subjects, while Great Britain had intervened on helv Jf of five- Britisb subjects Ameri ;-a would probably be compe-lled to intervene in the long run and it would be the best to do so at onc-e. Another of the important factors in China at present, Mr Conway said, was Generai F'en g-y.u-lisi ang, known as "the Christian 'Generai." Owing to the refusal of the Po-wers to assist him he had be-en oompelled to accept aid from Russia, but the fact that there had been no- news of his activities for a mo-nth past seemed to suggest that Tie was no longer active-ly assisting the "R-eds. He had the best disciplined army in China. and his troops included 30,000 or 40.000 Christiahs.