GUNS NEAR SHANGHAI.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 247, 18 October 1926, Page 7

GUNS NEAR SHANGHAI.

FALL OF CITY SM^ENT. SUN'S FORCES DITJXSSRi. DECISIVE BATTLE EXPECTEs. /"Bv CaM?. —Fres? Ass. : :iation. — Copyright.l PEKING, October 17. The sound of irons, cm be heard in Shanghai. A decisive baulc is expected to be fought shortly. General Sun ' huan-fang. the antiFed loader, i- moving toward Shanghai with 20."oil iro.ip; from the direction of Hangcbow. about 1"H mile.- lo the south-west. The fall of Hmnghai is regarded as imminent unless *un < huan-fang rushes more troop- from Xsu'king. li'.O miles to the north-west. This is not likely as fighting is in progress from Kiu-kiang to Xar.ch.ln2. ~~> miles further south. Two bridges on the Slianghai-Hang-chow railway w< re Mown up at Sin-]oong-wha and Moiha-loong. PEACE NEGOTIATIONS FAIL. Fighting has been iv-umed on a large scale. llesuli- are reported to be unfavourable to the Reds, but this js believed to be only a temporary setback. Peace negotiations between the Red* and anti-Reds failed, owing to the rival commanders being unable to agree nto the division of territory. .An ammunition ship, which is believed to have In-longed (o tin- anti-TvOils. nnd which was anchored in the YangtseKiang Fiver. exploded ye-terdny. Treachery is suspected. A British destroyer flotilla is beginning to arrive ,* Hongkong. [t includes the sea-plane-cnrrier Hermes. Hsiao-chow. civil l.'overnor of the Cue-Wane province, has declared his independence. FOREIGN CONCESSIONS PREPARING. BARRICADES ERECTED. TROOFS PERISH IN EXPLOSION. (Received 2 p.m.) PEKING, October 17. Shanghai is certain to become again the scene of warfare. The foreign concessions are already being barricaded. Tbe French concession is situated nearest to the approaching rebels, who are advancing from Chekiang in the west. Additional details of the explosion on the ammunition ship yesterday show that 1200 troops were killed aboard by tbe explosion. The situation on the Yang-tze is still perilous to shipping. Two British gtingoats were forced to reply to attacks from the banks. Merchant vessels are being submitted to shell and rifle fire. The historic steamers Wantung and Wanhsien, which were held by General Yang-sen at Wan-hsien. have arrived at Shanghai for repairs. They ran a gauntlot of fire coming down the stream. PIRATES ACTIVE. FOREIGN OFFICER KILLED. BANDITS HOLD MISSIONARY. SHANGHAI, October 17. A foreign Customs officer was killed and many Chinese captured by two pirate launches, which were lately operating in southern waters. The captured Chinese were rescued by the warship Robin in the vicinity of the West River. Although Mr. Freeman Davies. of the China Inland Mission, has been released. Mr. Riding, a British missionary, who was also captured by bandits from Chow-kia-kow. is still being held for a ransom of £.30.000 and 100 pistols.