WARSHIP SAVES NUNS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 340, 28 April 1928, Page 27

WARSHIP SAVES NUNS

CHINESE REDS BEATEN EXECUTIONER’S FAREWELL Details of a thrilling exploit by a British warship in Chinese waters have just been made known. The full story is now told of how H.M. destroyer Seraph rescued a party of Catholic nuns and priests from Swabue, in Kwangtung, between Swatow and the notorious Bias Bay lair of the Chinese coast pirates. A Chinese Christian convert from Swabue arrived at Hong-Kong, and reported to the Catholic Bishop Valtorta that three priests and seven nuns were being held prisoners by Communists at Swabue. A Chinese priest was under sentence of death there, and was awaiting execution qji Christmas morning. The priests’ names are Father M. Robba and Father L. Bianchi (Italians), and Father F. Wong (a Chinese British subject born in Hong-Kong). The other captives were three Italian sisters and four Chinese nuns. All were arrested by so-called Communists on December 22 for preaching and practising Christianity, and were paraded through the streets. The European priests and nuns were held prisoners, while the Chinese were taken to a hotel which the Communists had confiscated and were using as a military barracks. Scenes in Chinese Gaol At first the captors ordered the Chinese nuns to be led to the common prison. The priests protested, and the Chinese nuns were allowed to join the Italians. Father Wong was chained by his neck and feet, and kept with the other prisoners in a filthy gaol, from which prisoners were led out daily for execution. On the walls of the prison hung the executioners’ swords and pistols. As soon as , Bishop Valtorta received the report, late on Monday evening, he called on the Governor. Bishop Valtorta was put into touch with Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt, Com-mander-in-Chief of the China Station, who ordered H.M. destroyer Seraph to leave for Swabue under Commander R. B. Wilmot-Sitwell. Seraph steamed from the harbour at midnight, carrying Bishop Valtorta, who had volunteered to act as interpreter, and also a Chinese priest named Father Chan, a refugee from Swabue. At dawn on Tuesday the Seraph was at Swabue, and a rescue party, led by Commander Wilmot-Sitwell, put off in a motor-boat and a whaler. Time Limit Fixed As they approached the shore they saw at least 200 soldiers, who appeared to be taken by surprise. They frantically gesticulated and waved to the sailors not to land. Bishop Valtorta held up a letter in Chinese, addressed to the chief of police at Swabue. He told the crowd there was no reason to be afraid. The letter simply asked for the surrender of Father Wong and the release of the other missionaries. After half an hour the reply was received that the authorities would surrender the European captives, but since Father Wong was Chinese, he must be dealt with under Chinese law. A second note was then delivered saying that the Seraph had come specially for Father Wong, who was a British subject. Father 'Wong’s immediate release was demanded, and Commander Wil-mot-Sitwell insisted upon a timelimit for the reply. A Haughty Protest Half an hour later a written reply arrived saying that since Father Wong was a British subject he would be handed over. The reply contained a haughty protest that the Seraph had no business in Chinese waters without permission, and a threat that if the visit was repeated the Chinese would fire on the warship from the shore.

Soon afterwards all the captives were handed over, including two Chinese foundlings from the convent. The head executioner accompanied the party to, the warship and shook

hands with Father Wong before his departure. The European priests give terrible accounts of the cruelties they saw. Daily they witnessed executions from their prison windows. The Communists kill on their own authority, resorting to the terrorist methods of the Cheka. The victims are often led in procession through the streets, bound with ropes and with rings through their noses and ears. » On Christmas morning there were 13 executions, nine men and four women being the victims. Woman’s Last Appeal One woman was put to death for helping the sisters working at the Chinese Foundlings’ Home. This woman knelt down before the executioner, and begged to be shot instead of decapitated or put to dea.th by the slicing method, and her request was granted. An old Chinese friend of Bishop Valtorta, aged 80, was barbarously done to death by the slicing method. Executions during the past two months have averaged at least 150 a day over all the districts. As an example of the reign of terror in Hoifung the priests said that a boy of 18 was credited with 90 executions. A girl boasted that she had killed at least 10 persons.