TERRORISM IN SHANGHAI

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23318, 2 May 1941, Page 10

TERRORISM IN SHANGHAI

BOMB OUTRAGES AND SHOOTINGS ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE NEW CURRENCY (By H. G. w. Woodhead, Far Eastern correspondent of “The: Press:”); SHANGHAI, March 31. In August last the Consular Body deemed it Appropriate to cfehsure the chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Council who had appealed to it, on July 20, for co-operation in checking "the present terrible wave of crime which is destroying all confidence here, and ruining the reputation of Shanghai throughout the world.” v : ; , ; Not a ; mohth has passed'since, that has not witnessed further acts of terrorism. But March, 1941, has established what ,it is to be hoped will be ; an' all-time record for Shmighaii- .iTwo (terrorist outrages alone - Were responsible for the death, of eight persons, and the wounding of 42 others, and all available evidence .goes ;to show that they were the work of organisations directed from Nanking. Nanking, however, has by no'means enjoyed a* monopoly of local terrorism. In fact, there can be little doubt'that the . outrages referred to above -,were in retaliation for assassinations and attempted assassinations by agents of the Chungking Government. Their recent activities have been directed chiefly agaihst members .of; the staff, of the recently organised Nanking Central Reserve Bank, with the note-issue of which an'attempt is being made to supplant Chinese’ National currency. These started with the hurling Of four hand grenades into the ground and first-floor offices of the bank on February 20. About 20 armed men are believed to’ have participated in this outrage, which fortunately caused no casualties other than the death of a Chinese watchman who was shot’dead when the miscreants made their escape. * Five Killed

An assistant business fhahager of the same bank was wounded by gunmen in .the central district on March .3; one of the bank watchmen was wounded by; a gunman in the French Concession on March 5, and a clerk in the employ of the same institution was shot in Sinza road on March 21.

Presumably in retaliation for these outrages a crime comparable;with the Chicago St. Valentine’s Day massacre was staged iri the French. Concession in the early hours: of March 21. Six assassins, posing as police, forced their; way into a building off Avenue Joffre in the French Concession,, a" portion of which was used as a dormitory by employees of the Kiangsu Farmers’ Bank. They opened fire on the inmates, killing five instantly, and wounding six others, one of them fatally. In the ewly hours of the following morning, March 22, Japanese gendarmerie forced their way into premises in Central terrace, ofl Jessfield road used as staff quarters for employees of the Bank of China, and carried off 128 of the Inmates to their headquarters. A statement issued by the Nanking Ministry of Police on March 23 revealed that this wholesale kidnapping was in reprisal for “the

mean and cruel actlvitieß rv p«MM by the -'Chungking agents.'/||S| stated that the prisoners wopUy|B| corded all possible protebtitibSH| forts’ for their daily' hfffi-IMP ‘‘they will.be j released Chungking regime showi'twMßj and ‘ local peace and order definitely restored. . r ; JShmH warning be unheeded forced to take 1 similar with the entire staff the financial. establishm»Jp>SM by the Chungking fegudr&ftaß nai, for the sake of seR-dcfini in the interest of; locaL’ficfcegffii order.” , -/jMj Bomba ,3y This form of. intimidation ’Kwp]| enough, but worse was jtOifbile||| the afternoon of March'24..vrtilM ported, t0.... be postal parcej||iyM| livered simultaneously ’ of ; the r lCehtrdi v Hirik at the'Cmj in the. French kill' road*inthe ident,. ahd. of the 984: Avenue road ih the these are Chungking institutifflHi parcels M each of which..contajf|Mß 121b of gelignite with; a detooßH timing apparatus, were accepwß out suspicion at all three .offiCgH contents of the parcel deliver edM Burkill road offices vrere discoveM late. to be~defused, ;and of the buildme were stamparnHW the premises wjien it 'expioaßM ing. the buHdftiig-iand killih||jraH and injuring 4® persons, mcwMH women.' The. par cel dehywMH Canidrbjhe' arpused suspicioogjiHi ting smoke.ibiit before jmyranH be.ddhe about.it, ft explofflMJMH rifiqdoiSfe'rkilihig. seven -perniM lift-cage, numerous -windows.,. was. a woman.' The..pagc'ebuMWß the Farmers’ Bank WaA of;the staff and the policeypHMß diately summoned.- The wjPwmj on' the scene. - Petecdve*lnyiwH Cahey, who wasnot a was'about to the building when Sub-InsPtp||jß arrived and which was then removed w)|pH| ploding. The toll pf sions was eight killed andN^ml It would be as pose that the mass explosions were not the wp|gj§g king agents, as to' imagine that successive outrages.agewM hers of the Central Reserve,B»me|| were the’work of individuau|mMi by purely personal Chungking Government CnuwQM blame for persistently instigiuMß roristic acts in areas Under-s|«jWa ministration; where ly Powers have done inefr'AfflOH provide peace and securityifffi|£|| lation of upwards of 3,000, If anything is to be gained.by.Hi nations of alleged Chinese “Quißßl Shanghai is certainly not try it. Such murders meMy^H more difficult for the friendwtßß ments and their nationals t» BHi the status of Shanghai as” national settlement. It is •' saddle the municipal police; task of attempting to among Shanghai’s congestey lai tion, when their work is • comW hampered by externally instigMK sassinations. Carefully Prepared ■Hie Nanking-controlled presm| day- following the bomb naively attributed, them to, of Chinese Communists. No. Qh^iß iar with- the local situation such a suggestion serious ■ The crimes were obviouslyWflß and carried out by an elaborate?® isation. under a single commwjra explosives and the types of demil and. fuses used oculd not ,'bavtj™ obtained by irresponsible agwg The plot must have been ow* prepared, even to the details 'Qpjm the cancellations of the postagA|W< on the parcels; the method by, spurious postmen was'talcinWP avert suspicion until' the tus had detonated the' explosive's It would seem that in its eßw" supplant national currency -WittiJ note issue of its own GentralJtJS Bank—which is not accepted MjaH ese-controlled utilities, ate efforts are being.made king regime to *orive Government banks out of .tpPvaw areas. 11 these efforts ceed Shanghai would be a worthless unconvertible rency, and a financial crisis, parallelled proportions would JH Fpr Shanghai to-day has to relyjji upon imported foodstuffs, niw?S| other necessities, owing to tne'aj polisation.of coal, rice; raw eonjMffl silk, and other modifies by Japanese the only remaining free exchange,® ket of any consequence in CnmjM that being so it is difficult Maw Stand; how the - Japanese can - jaSg it to their interests, to efforts to foist, Wang rency upon the; public. The Joc«m tion js already extremely to the rising cost of imported wheat, the coal shortage, and tneia increase of unemployment wWtffi* result from:’the rationing- <tf- njfl current and.gas. If succeed in driving out - national rency it is difficult to see how.£*» local disturbances can be avmq<s| poorer classes are already weiw driven to desperation by the’lwSj of rice and fuel. If importscommodities cease entirely.-" .ahsa and fuel cannot be purchased;, gg the -present:, high, l or prices, food riots must be regto|H inevitable.