BACK FROM HANKOW.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 58, 10 March 1927, Page 19

BACK FROM HANKOW.

ADELAIDE WOMAN'S EXPERIENCE "Nobody knows where they are in China or what is going to happen. The utmost confusion reigns. One thing only I do know, and that is that the Chinese are not out to kill, but simply to drive the British out." This interesting statement was made by Mrs. E. Roehette, of Hankow, to a "'.Melbourne Ilerald"

woman reporter. She gave some faint idea of the nerveracking tension which has been the lot of the Britisher in China since the trouble began. She is anxiously awaiting news of her husband, to whom she said goodbye in Hankow a few weeks ago. lie is in charge of the Belgian bank there.

"My husband was transferred from Tientsin to Hankow only three weeks before the evacuation," explained Mrs. Rochette. "In Tientsin we had got used to the position, and never even talked about it. But at Hankow the tension was awful. \\ e lived in an atmosphere hghting. 1 lie sandbag embankments dividing one foreign concession from another were guarded night and dav with soldiers and marines off the boats, armed with fixed bayonets. The streets were thronged with Chinese pickets— men whose business it was to stop strikers going back to work. Beating was their method.

'"There were several minor strikes in progress, but our one big fear was that there might be a general strike. That would mean the cessation of everything —railways, shipping, the electric" light, water, and so 011. I left a week earlier than I anticipated owing to the threat of a general strike. So Ido sincerely pray that it doesn't happen. Mv husband is due for his furlough, and is to join me in Sydney in April, when we will embark for England."

Mrs. Rochette gave a description of the four days' journey from Tientsin to Hankow, down the Yangtse River. "I shall never forget it." she declared. "Once TVe were lired upon. We were sitting quietly on deck, when a couple of ritle shots sounded across the water. Down we all scuttled to the dining room like frightend rabbits. There we were safe, as" the walls were steel lined. However, nothing more happened. I don't think I slept a wink. One night I had a frightful niehtmare. The captain had told" me that if the firing were bad he would stop the boat and take her back to Shanghai. 1 woke up to find myself screamintr. "Don't take the boat back, captain, don't take the boat back!'

"We had to anchor one whole nisht at Kinkiang, while the north and south armies had a battle. It was a terrifying experience to sit throughout the night listening to the deafening rattle of machine guns that sounded as if they were next door.

'"The journey took four days instead of two and a-half. It was hateful to be on board. The boat was packed with soldiers and civilians, all talking of nothing but fighting. We had to carry lights to keep the gunboats from running into us. The South was fleeinc from the North at that time, and the boats came speeding along in all directions.'' NOTE. Notices of engagement sent In must bear the signatures of both contracting parties. Accounts of weddings should reach ""■o™ *■ as Boon afte * the ceremony as possible. No notice ■will be given of weddings later than ten days afte? the - - ■ - , jcarV-.frn'Ss-w.-fcAa^