THE CHINESE CRISIS

Taranaki Daily News, 4 December 1926, Page 13

THE CHINESE CRISIS

- NAVY JOINS CANTONESE OUTRAGES ON MISSIONARIES HANKOW POSITION EASIER By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright. Peking, Dee. 2. The navy at Foochow has gone over to the Cantonese, who are expected to occupy Foochow to-morrow without fighting. Another reverse for Sun-Chuan-Fang is that Chiang-Kaishek’e recent declaration of friendliness towards the missionaries has prompted the Kuikiang missionaries to broadcast details of the outrages suffered from Chiang’s troops. Their homes were forcibly entered, the furniture smashed, and everything saleable organs, sewing machines, pianos, medicines, and surgical instruments—was auctioned. All the books and Bibles were burned, clothes ripped by bayonets, the homes occupied by soldiers, and the owners driven cut. Similar reports have been received from other sources. The American missionaries in the Honan province requested the Peking Legation for rifles for self-defence, but permission was refused by the Chinese authorities, who declared the procedure dangerous. The Hankow situation is easier. As the result of the Japanese agreeing to the humiliating demands of the strikers essential services are being maintained, and the nickels are reported to have been withdrawn from the concession. Mr. Mills Lampson, the new Minister from London, will proceed to Hankow by the cruiser Petersfield on Saturday, ignoring Peking, to view the up-river situation. He states that London is awaiting the instructions before deciding on protective measures. The dissension between Wu-Pei-Fu and Chang-Tso-Lin caused the abandonment of the attempt to recapture the Hunan cities.