FIRES IN NATIVE CITY.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17165, 23 March 1927, Page 5

FIRES IN NATIVE CITY.

EXTENSION OF THE LINES. . SHELL BURSTS IN CONVENT Received Tuesday, 5.5 p.m. SHANGHAI, March' 21. All the native police stations were set afire by southern agents, the fire extending for four city blocks. The Chinese brigades were unable to cope with it, and the settlement, brigade did not assist, fearing that the firemen would be sniped. The fire raged unchecked during a whole night, and rendered thousands homeless and destroyed important institutions. Shots and machine gunfire resounded from the native quarter all night. Many of both sides were kill- ! ed in the streets which were de- ! serted by civilians in anticipation j of the trouble spreading. Coolies , are busy erecting additional barri- j cades in the main. streets. 1 The main Canton army, which re- ! cently has been concentrating for j an atack on Nanking is now astride ; the Shanghai-Nanking railway j thirty miles north of Shanghai, cut- j ting off a portion of the anti-Reds ; who had refused to join the south j and preferred to evacuate Shanghai. ' These are White Russians and the ; Shantung army, many of whom j have deserted and returned to shel- i ter in the foreign settlements.

General Duncan has ordered lines facing the Reds to be extended for two miles. Additional armoured cars are due from Hongkong. A shell burst in a Roman Catholic convent, which is believed to have been hurnt to the ground. The fate of the children housed in it, including some foreigners, is unknown thus far and none h'alve been brought within the settlement.