SHANGHAI SHELLED

Wairarapa Age, 24 February 1927, Page 5

SHANGHAI SHELLED

BY DESERTING CRUISERS.

ARSENAL BOMBARDED.

SOME FOREIGN HOUSES HIT.

SHANGHAI, February 22. The report is confirmed that a Chinese cruiser, going over from Sun Chuas-rang to the Southerners, fired on the Kiang Nan Arsenal, which is one of the biggest in China. The arsenal is situated almost on the boundary of the French Settyement, and turns out munitions and guns for the whole of Sun Chuan-fang’s forces, and its demoltion would seriously handicap the Northerners’ defence of Shang-. hat All British troops and naval men ar 2 standing by. The volunteers are also standing by, while an armoured car section is on duty. French marines rushed to the strategic points on the boundaries of the French Concession. The firing caused intense alarm in the Chinese city, and considerable excitement in the Settlement. Foreigners residing outside the settlement are taking tho precaution, in some cases, of moving in with their valuables into the Settlement. Chinese refugees are pouring into the Settlement from the Native City. Two Chinese were killed in the native city into which five shells . fell. Two British homes and two American homes were hit as well as the old French Club, which is at present a school. According to a later report it transpires that two cruisers, the Kiangwei and the Kianghang, lying up river above Shanghai, were concerned in tho firing. The erews had been bribed by the Cantonese to go ever from Suu Chuan-fang, their intention being to steam np to Whangpoo in order to join the Southerners. , /-< After the Chinese cruisers had fired, the French gunboats Alerte and Marne, whicu" were anchored nearby, trained their guns on the cruisers, but did not fire. The French authorities have posted marines with machine guns in all streets leading to the Chinese city. According to a Japanese report from Nanking, Chang Sung Chang’s troops are crossing the Yangtse to Nanking apparently with the object to come to Shanghai.—(A. and N.Z.) . COMPLACENCY IN LONDON, f , “PAET OF CHINESE CIVIL WAR.” LONDON, February 22. The Foreign Office has not received confirmation of the bombardment o-f Shanghai by a Chinese gunboat, but ■official circles point out that at present there is little cause for alarm. A gunboat, by Western standards, is a small negligible craft, and probably the gunnery was indifferent, by such is unlikely to cause much damage or loss of life. The main source of satisfaction is that the firing was nc/t prompted by antipathy to the British and other foreigners, and was not directed against the international settlement, but aaginst the native city. It is part of the Chinese civil war, and does not arise from hatred of foreigners.

The view taken is that while the life of foreigners in Shanghai must .be exceedingly uncomfortable owing to the strike and general uncertainty, it ■would be an exaggeration of tho danto suggest that British people were at present in daily peril of losing their lives.—(A. and N.Z.)

DISORDERS IN NATIVE CITY. SOME NARROW ESCAPES. (Received Wednesday, 7 p.m.) SHANGHAI. February 23. The shooting aroused the more extreme spirits in the Native City, and a hundred soldiers and agitators made an attack on a Chinese police station. The police fired, killing several.

The “North China Daily News” reports that gunboats were trying to escape to join the Southern gunboats further up the river when they were detected. One shell passed through a bedroom of a foreign resident’s house over two sleeping children, and lodged in the wall a foot above their heads. DESPERATE BATTLE IN HONAN. Reports from Honan Province state that Chang Chung Chang, finding Wu Pei-fu obstinately resisting his advaflfce, sent a vanguard of six thousand White Russians, who, knowing that if captured they would be beheaded, fought so fiercely that Wu Pei-fu was defeated and fled to the mountains. Tht Russian losses are reported to be three thousand.—(Sydney “Sun.”)