CHINESE WAR HORRORS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 November 1926, Page 9

CHINESE WAR HORRORS

MISSIONERS MALTREATED ESCAPE FROM ANGRY MOBS HOMES SACKED & BURNED By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received Nov. 14, 5.5 p.m. Peking, Nov. 12. After living for several days in a native boat, with rice as the only article of food, and in constant fear' of being murdered by the angry mobs pursuing them along the river banks, the entire missionary staff from Liuyang, in the Hunan province, who fled in response to entreaties by Chinese converts who knew the intentions of the mob to murder all foreigners, finally reached safety. The majority were scantily clad, they having lost everything. The students who were responsible for the uprising, which is a protest against the Wanhsen affair, were angered when they found - the missionaries had fled, and the mob then looted and burned their homes and the mission’s trading properties, including huge quantities of oil. The two lady missionaries who were captured at Changteh in October and kept in an exposed condition, have now been released. The Canton Ministry of Affairs, replying to the Powers’ protest against the sur-taxes, snubbed the diplomatic body at Peking. The Ministry returned a note of protest through the post, declaring that Canton refuses to recognise the Peking Government, and therefore cannot recognise the foreign diplomats residing there. The Ministry draws attention to the spread of Cantonese influence throughout China, and virtually suggests that when the Powers recognise' this fact Canton will be prepared to discuss the question of sur-taxes. REDS BLOCKING TRANSPORT. STRIKE IN SHIPPING FLEET. Peking, Nov. 12. Red agents operating at Shanghai succeeded in causing a strike in the China Merchants Steamship Company’s fleet, which is the largest in Chinese waters, w’ith the object of striking a blow at Sun-Chuan-Fang’s means of transportation. The reason given is the failure of the company to compensate the crew and victims of the river boat Kiangyung, which recently blew up at Kiukiang, killing 1200 soldiers and crew.