CHINESE WAR LORDS

Evening Star, Issue 19436, 20 December 1926, Page 5

CHINESE WAR LORDS

SUN STILL HOLDS HANGCHOW PREVIOUS REPORT DENIED Fjrdsu Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SHANGHAI, December 17. (Deceived December 20, at 1 a.m.) It appears that a mere handful of southerners in plain clothes entered Hangchow on Tuesday and cut the railway on Wednesday morning, but evacuated the city on Wednesday night following the restoration of communication with Shanghai, when Sun Chuanfeng sent 4,500 Loyal troops to Hangchow to reinforce the 0,000 Loyaliststhere. The report that Chekiang had declared its independence is unfounded. It arose from the doubtful attitude of 6,000 troops at Hangchow. CLOSING IN ON SHANGHAI. PEKING, December IS. The theatre of the Chinese war is vapidly moving near Shanghai, though serious fighting is still in progress in the vicinity of Ichang, whore the Reds, after a stiff engagement, drove out the occupying force. The foreign women and children aie herded in a compound guarded By British marines. The anti-Reds commandeered Italian and French liver boats and looted Ichang before fleeing. Five separate armies are hovering in the vicinity of Shanghai. A Red force has reached Wenchow, in Chekiang, where severe fighting is reported. Shanghai is in a state of turmoil, and looting has commenced. A Japanese gunboat is rushing to the scene in response to an appeal from the Consular body. BRITISH FORCES. MALTA, December 18. It is now stated that the fourth desjjpyer flotilla will not accompany the Caradoc to China. If the flotilla goes it will sail in February, probably relieving the third flotilla. It is authoritatively reported from Gibraltar that the 2nd Suffolks will leave for Hongkong on January 1. ON NORTHERN BORDER. SOVIET MASSING TROOPS. PEKING, December IS. A meeting of Ministers considered a document from the British Charge d’Affaires, which, it is understood, contained matters of considerable importance regarding the general policy in China. It is believed that the reason why Britain is despatching the Suffolk Regiment from Gibralta to Hongkong lies not in the Chinese menace, but in the activities of the Soviet, which is massing troops on the Manchurian frontier. It is reported from Manchuria that the Soviet authorities have reinforced the infantry strength in Dauria, near the Chinese frontier, increasing it from three to eight battalions. They are also mobilising sixty artillery batteries and an air force. It is not generally believed that the Soviet forces will dare to cross the frontiers. These military movements are regarded merely as a demonstration as yet, but the relations between the Peking Government and the Soviet are strained. CANTONESE RED ARMY BOLSHEVISTS TAKE CONTROL. LONDON, December 5. Europeans and Chinese everywhere realise that the Hankow strike, with its impossible demands, including a 50 percent. increase in wages, is a fresh attack on foreign influence, the instigators aiming at the capture of Shanghai, the complete Red domination of South China, and the extinction of British commerce. The'Cantonese Red army’s victorious sweep has profoundly impressed the Chinese, and has caused extreme tension and nervousness among foreigners. The Reds’ success has been chiefly due to the troops’ discipline and the absence _of looting, the Russian leaders insisting on first occupying and disarming districts before making their demands. Vanguards of Russian-trained Chinese propagandists, using speeches from Moscow text-books, promising liberation from the foreigners, are very active in the Southern Yangtse Valley, which will be the next military objective. The effect of the propaganda has been felt even in Shanghai, whore Europeans are preparing to cope with another and better organised general strike, based on purely political grounds, as is Hankow’s. Meanwhile, in tho completely subjugated districts Red commissars have replaced the local Governments. Religious buildings are being confiscated and sold to replenish the war chests; but masses of the Chinese, being ignorant of these developments, are ready to accept the Cantonese authority in preference to suffering from the brigandage of other so-called armies. The only hope of stemming the Red irmy’a progress is by the advance ct Northern Anti-Bolshevists, including hundreds of White Russian troops, but they are still inactive. The Europeans at Hankow are laying in food supplies, and on Friday night sent armed guards to bring in meat that had been in cold storage in the old German Concession, which the Chinese have occupied,