CRIME AT SHANGHAI

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 79, 27 December 1935, Page 9

CRIME AT SHANGHAI

Minister Assassinated On Christmas Day TENSION HEIGHTENED By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright (Received December 26, 7.5 p.m.) Shanghai, December 25. Gunmen trailing him in a motorcar, from which they loosed a volley, assassinated Mr. Tang Yu Jen, ViceMinister of Communications, as he was leaving his home in the French Concession. Mr. Tang died in hospital with eight bullets in his body. The murderers escaped by speeding up their car. The crime, which is attributed to students who are dissatisfied with the Government’s attitude toward Japanese aggression, recalls the attempted assassination of Mr. Wang Ching Wei, Premier in the previous Ministry. The Shanghai correspondent of the “New York Times” says that Mr. Tang Yu Jeu was assassinated at dusk on Christmas Day by two unidentified male Chinese, who shot him down when he emerged from his home in the French settlement and escaped in the darkness. During his incumbency of the Foreign Office Mr. Tang was frequently accused of pro-Japanism, some Chinese newspapers even charging him with the betrayal of Nanking secrets to Tokio. The Japanese Embassy took a serious view of the crime, holding that the Chinese Government was unable to curb the activities of anti-Japanese terrorist organisations. The assassination heightens the critical tension created by students’ anti-Japanese demonstrations which now paralyse railway traffic from Shanghai to Nanking and north China. Martial law continues in the Chinese city, although the day passed without violence.

A later message states that martial law has been declared at Shanghai, Nanking and Hankow owing- to the student disturbances. A bomb exploded near the Japanese naval headquarters at Shanghai, injuring two Chinese. Japanese marines, steelhelmeted and with fixed bayonets, immediately cordoned the whole Japanese concession. Railway traffic between Shanghai and Nanking was resumed after the dispersal of the students who had been encamped in the North Shanghai station for three days. A large body of students forcibly took control of a train departing for Nanking, but the authorities succeeded in evicting them.

Clashes are reported between Manchukuo and Outer Mongolian Forces on Christmas Day, and the situation is described as acute.

A shooting sensation occurred at the opening session of the National Kuomintang (People’s Party) conference at Nanking on November 1. While the delegates were being photographed a person whipped out a revolver and fired repeatedly, seriously wounding Wang Ching Wei, the Chinese Premier and Foreign Minister, and at the same time wounding Chang-chi, a veteran member of the Kuomintang, and Kan-lai-kuan, chief of General Chiang-kai-shek’s political training bureau. The assailant was immediately shot down by Mr. Wang’s bodyguard. Mr. Wang was hit above the cheek and was rushed to hospital. The assailant, critically injured, was taken to the same hospital, which troops and police are guarding. The conference was adjourned indefinitely. The assailant, a Chinese newspaper correspondent, and two accomplices, fired on police and troops, who arrested them after they had exhausted their ammunition. The assailant was Sun-Ming-Hsun, an ex-sergeant of the Cantonese Nineteenth Route Army. A preconceived plan was indicated by the fact that the assailant was not a newspaper man but secured status as a journalist some weeks ago. Ten arrests were made, including those of two persons who surrendered.

A Shanghai cable published yesterday stated that the whole of the international police had been mustered to cope with the situation arising from 1500 students opposed to the North China autonomy move seizing the North Shanghai railway station. The demonstrators were well provisipned and boasted that they would remain until they were taken to Nanking to present a manifesto to the Government. Meanwhile they brought all trains to a standstill by lying across Hie tracks.