CHINA UNDER MOB RULE.

Shannon News, 3 February 1928, Page 4

CHINA UNDER MOB RULE.

A SEA-CAPTAIN'S IMPRESSIONS EYE-WITNESS OF RIOTS IN CANTON. —- J - j A Chinese puzzle is usually recognised as something which defies solution, and, as all newspaper readers are aware, the situation in the great country of the Far East has now become a puzzle on a national scale. Ingftt was thrown on some of its features by an interview which a Chronicle reporter had last week with a sea-captain in the Canton service, who is now in Levin. Captain Basil Thompson is an eld Manakau boy, his father having been Mr Dugald Thompson; but he has been many years in the Orient, and his outlook is that of the travelled observer of many phases of life. He left China in November, on nine months' furlough, and is at present the guest of Mr *and Mrs Thos. Bevan, of Mako Mako Road. In his calling he is captain of the s.s. Tai Shan, a vessel with a license for 2600 passengers, which is owngd by the Hong Kong, Canton and Macao

Steamship Co. Speaking of the upheaval that has been going on in 'China in recent years, Capt. Thompson stated that trouble originated in June, 1924, among the workers in Shanghai, where Japrtnesetwned factories were raided. A month after that, Captain Thcmp?on was in Canton, and a demonstration was held there in sympathy for the natives 1 Killed in the Shanghai incidents —the martyrs, as they were called. Sir James' Jamieson, Consul-General at Canton, received information that at certain Chinese Universities lota had been drawn to determine whe was* to fire the first- shots on the Shamccn Concession. This settlement consists of an island, measuring about a 'mile in length by a-quarter of a mile in breadth; it was originally-a mud-bank in the Canton river, but was gradually made habitable, and, became the quarter of the British, American, French and Portuguese residents. It is separated from Canton by a _ small creek, and communication with the mainland U by two bridges and by watereraf t. %

ATTACK ON THE SHAMEEN. On receiving the information that the Chinese students were anxious to makemaityres of themselves, the Consul-Gen-eral sent a letter to the Chinese head fof affairs in Canton, acquainting him with what he had heard, which included an intimation that the University of Kwangtung had drawn a lot for martyrdom. A warning was conveyed in the letter to the Chinese official that if a procession was held, as was proposed, the Settlement authorities would attribute it to fertile imaginations, but if anything more serious happened it would be resisted Avith armed force from Shameen, and the blood of any cf the natives killed would be upon the head of the official in charge of

affairs. A copy of this letter wa's also sent to England. On June 23rd the procession was held," starting about 11 a.m. It consisted of Boy Scouts, Girl Guides, soldiers, peasants and students. The participants were worked up to a frenzy prior to reaching the portion of the Bund (or thoroughfare) opposite Shameen, shouting, "Kill the foreigners!" When the Chinese soldiers came abreast of the British bridge, shots were fired from their ranks, and also by Chinese with machine guns posted behind them on the roofs of (buildings on the Bund. A Frenchman was killed, and a Commissioner of Customs shot through the leg. Men-of-wars-men and volunteers on the island, to the number of about 200, returned the lire, in order to. prevent the mpb from crossing the creek and gaining access ito the island.

Before the procession took place, the Consul had had the women and children of the Settlement removed to the far side of the island, where they were sheltered from the shooting. The firing lasted about 20 minutes, and there was a fairly constant rattle of machine guns on both sides. Meanwhile the procession brcke up, the demonstrators giving way to planie when they discovered that they had got themselves into trouble.

As soon as the fighting began, the Consul-General mustered the women and children and sent them to the ship of which Captain Thompson w;.<.s in command, and which had been kept ready, for evacuativc purposes in anticipation of the event "that transpired. The refugees were taken by the steamer, next morning,. to Hong Kong, 84 miles away, where they would be safe should any further demonstration occur . ANTI-BRITISII DEMONSTRATION. The" incidents at Canton, Captain Thompson'explained, had been arranged to foment feeling against the British, and it was 'believed that Russians had a lot to do with them. For nine or ten months after the outbreak there were no'servants on fhe island —in fact, no Chinese working there —the place being left to the European business and official communities. "A regiment of Sikhs was sent up to protect the island. The strike against the foreigner lasted about twelve months, both at Canton and Hong Kong, but with particular intensity in the former city. The British, authorities deported from Hong Kong the Chinese who refused to work, and they went to swell the population of Canton; but about "four months after the disturbance they began to drift back to Hong Kong. There were still agitators among them, however, threatening that if they did not give up their employment with the foreigners, they or their next-of -kin would be killed. The steamship company 'by whom Captain Thompson was employed resumed the service from Canton", in the hope of conveying the strikers back to their work. ■ The steamer, while waiting for those passengers, was always watched at night by native pickets, who came in motor boats and fired point-blank at any of their countrymen who attempted to make the journey to Hong Kong. Captain Thomp-

son stated that he had seen numbers of Chinamen killed in this manner. Shots were also fired at anybody attempting to bring any cargo to the ship. This sort of thing went on for more than a year, With the result that the ships obtained very few passengers and very little cargo. The boycott of the British was called off eventually through negotiations by the British Admiral with Eugene Chen, the head of the revolutionary movement at the time. Two clays after the Admiral's visit, the Tai Shan was allowed to proceed to her wharf at .Canton, at which she had not berthed for 18 months.

Captain Thompson stated that fighting was still going on in South China when he departed, in November. Street fighting was common, and there Avere numerous faction fights. Canton was ihe principal city of China after Peking had ceased to be the seat of Government, and it was probably the oldest city in the whole country. The population on the river alone at Canton was equivalent to that of New Zealand, being over a million.

SAW DR. SUN YAT SEN

When the boycott Avas finished, there was still much trouble Avith the Chinese labour unions. The Reds Arqre eventually put out, but noAr there Avas dissension betAveen the moderates and the extremists, the former being in poAver at present. Captain Thompson stated that he had seen the late Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the former head of the South China gOA'ernmcnt, Avho had travelled on his ship. Sun, Avho assumed control about five years ago, made several attempts to seize the Customs-houses in South China, in order to commandeer the revenue that was being paid to Britain on account of the Boxer indemnity. This he Avas prevented from doing, but subsequently the strikers formed customs houses of their oavii and charged surtaxes on goods AA-hieh had already passed the Chinese Customs. British goods Avere also confiscated, and Chinese Avho imported such articles Avere liable to be attacked with, violence. During the strike an edict Avent forth that nothing British Avas'to be alloAved in Canton. Shops Avere raided in order to see if any British goods Avere in them, in Avhich' case the shopkeepers were ithroAvn out into the street. Asked lioav the missionaries fared, Captain Thmopson stated that just prior to the day of the Canton riot,

they were called in from the Avhole district by the British and American authorities, so that they could be removed to safety. No fighting occurred in Hong Kong; but agitators were at Avork there. War materials had been constantly smuggled into China for a very long time, and crews of ships were frequently caught in this practice. The Chinese had an arsenal in Canton, and thev manufactured rifles. BODYGUARDS FOR MAGNATES. Merchants and generals went in fear of their lives in the southern capital. It Avas a common sight to see a bodyguard of six men, Avith Mauser pistols draAA'ii, standing on the running-boards of an automobile in Avhich a wealthy Chinaman was travelling. When the magnate alighted, the guard surrounded him to protect him from possible attack .

It Avas laughable to see Chinese soldiers going aAvay to war with umbrellas and thermos flasks on.their belts. As io the future of China, nobody could tell Avhat Avas going to happen. It seemed as though some crisis must' come about, to clear the atmosphere; but on the other hand, in the fashion of some former risings, the trouble might fizzle out. The British possession of Hong Kong, besides being an important trading centre on an island at the mouth of the Canton river, served as a military depot and as a place of refuge for those avlio had to leave the Canton ("•istrict Avhen risings took place. Like ,Hong Kong, the Portuguese island of Macao had been quiet during these disturbances. Opium manufacture Avas still carried on at Macao, but not. to the same extent as formerly, as the younger generation of Chinese Avere apparently not so much addicted t> the drug as their forefathers had been.

ACTIVITY O|F PIRATES. Piracy and banditry had been very prevalent in China in recent years. The ships of the firm by Avhom Captain Thompson is engaged travelled through the piracy zone, and for this reason the bridges and nav'gating quarters Avere protected by steel-plating and grilles, and each officer carried _ a revolver and oO rounds of ammunition. U had also been found necessary to take on to the steamer eight Indian guards, equipped with rifles and 50 rounds each. In additi n there. Avere 10 soldiers under hvo European sergeants, with lavo Lewis guns, to prevent any firing at other ships. The pirates gain-

ed access to the ships as passengers, and it Avas difficult to identify them on a steamer having 800 people aboard apart from the ci-oav. Prior to the passengers embarking, they had , to pass between lines of Chinese police who examined their persons and belongings to see if '.hey carried anything suspicious. Women Avere searched in a special depot on the A\iiarf. Both the import and the export trade had been badly hampered in recent years by the state of national unrest. Tourist traf.it- was also disorganised, because of 'he danger to life. Formerly globe-trotters arrived l?y palatial ships at Hong Kong and Avere taken by the river steamers to Canton, Avhere guides could be obtained. All this traffic had been lost during the past two years, because it considered unsafe for foreigners to be about the. streets of the Chinese citv.

Before the strike, there being move naval vessels at liberty, a system of convoying Avas provided,, and piracy was not attempted in the Canton Avaters. The West River, branching off from the Canton, Avas notorious for its pirates, who came aboard as passengers; and there had been many hold-

ups in that district in the last year or tAvo.

Captain Thompson intends making a tour of NeAV Zealand during his furlough, Avhich has nearly seven months to run. After that he aa-HI return to the East Avith the characteristic steadfastness of the seafaring man, hoping io find better conditions, but still prepared to take AA'hat comes.