PIRATES IN CHINA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 76, 10 January 1928, Page 6

PIRATES IN CHINA

SATTLES WITH BRITISH. PATROL ON YANCTSE RIVER. HONGKONG, December 31. The British warships which are patrolling the Yangtse River to restore order in the pirate infested waters nave quickly made their presence felt. Short, but fierce encounters with the pirate bands have resulted im decisive victories for the British sailors. Exciting stories of battles between pirates and British naval contingents came to hand to-day from the middle of the Yangtse River. One pirate, gang was trapped -by the ruse of putting out a naval patrol in a private launch, which cruised in the direction of the waters infested by the pirates. These soon appeared on the bank, and opened fire. At that moment the naval men revealed themselves, and turned their machine-guns on the desperadoes, who fled, leaving many of their dead on the banks. Another patrol entered action with a pirate vessel, winch was captured aifer a brief engagement and. beacheci. fcnx of the bandits on board were! wounded, and were handed to tile Chinese autiiorities. There were no British casualties. The firm of Butterfield and Swire, winch is operating ships on the Yangtse, received a letter from the pirates, demanding a huge sum for immunity from attack. They tin eaten to fire on the vessels and kill the captains. Their demands were not met, and the letters have been handed to the naval authorities. The British gunboats employed against the pirates are the Gnat, Cricket and Mantis.