THRILLS IN CHINA

Evening Star, Issue 19589, 22 June 1927, Page 5

THRILLS IN CHINA

ESCAPING THE REDS THE SOLDIERS IN SHANGHAI 111 an interview this morning thfl Rev. George W. Shepherd, who has for some time been stationed in China, gave a very interesting account of tbe separato escapes of his wife and himself from foreign mission stations in that temporarily riotous country. Mr Shepherd is a member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, whose headquarters is at Boston, United States. It should be mentioned that originally ho was a Dunedin boy, but when twenty years of ago he left this city to study theology at American universities and colleges. After representing tho Mission Board in, China for some time ho has returned with his wife and children to Dunedin for two mouths’ vacation. Mr Shepherd stated that last year he was in America on furlough, and ha returned to Shanghai in September to find China in tho throes ot the Civil War. The missionaries 1 were'warned on all sides not to venture into the interior, but, being missionaries, they decided to go. Mr Shepherd was obliged to leave his wife in Ruling, a mountain resort in the vicinity of Kiukiaug, a port on the Yangteo. While Sirs Shepherd and others were sheltering at Ruling they were frequently warned to leave, but they took no hoed. Eventually the American Vice-Consul came up to the mountain in person, and gave very definite orders on the subject. To leave was not unduly difficult, to carry away any baggage was quite another matter. Accordingly at 6 o’clock one evening the party, minus all belongings, left Ruling in sedan chairs.

After Mrs Shepherd had gone a Chinese friend, who was the local postmaster, tried to secure coolies in order to convey tho baggage to his own home, and so protect it. An immediate difficulty in the form of the Labor Union presented itself; the union r*fused to gran permission for tho transporting of foreign baggage. Thereupon Mr Hsia, the postmaster, dressed five coolies in the green uniforms of the letter carriers, and then, being to all iutente and purposes Government employees, they were able to handle tho luggage. Many of tho most valuable articles were extracted by Mr Hsia and, forwarded by parcel post to Shanghai., In the meantime the fugitives had been molested and robbed by both coolies and soldiers until their last dollar bad disappeared. All through the night they travelled. Early the following morning they arrived at Kiukiang Bund, and were hailed by an American gunboat, which promptly turned on ite searchlights. Owing to the shallow nature of tho river at tin* point the gunboat was unable to coma alongside tho bank to pick them up. Tho American sailors promptly waded into the cold, muddy waters of the Yangtse, and carried tho fugitives out to the boat. Ultimately they were picked up by a British down-river steamer, and after two days and nights without blankets or comfort of any sort the party arrived at Shanghai. Hot loim after this the Nationalist army looted tho British Concession at Kiukiang. . , r “While all this was going on Mr Shepherd himself was up-country afc tho mission station at Fukien. Ho did not hear about his wife’s escape from Killing until two weeks later. After the Nationalists had conquered the province round Fukien they pressed on towards Shanghai with their main forces, leaving Fukien to be governed by bandits. A Nationalist bandit who had operated for twenty-five, years was put in charge of five counties. As it turned old ho was an amiable man and a very strong ruler. He assured the missionaries that there was no necessity to leaver When it was finally decided, np- n messages received from the consul at Foochow, that the party -hou'-i go down to the coast, they knew that it was impossible to reach it unless they had passports and escorts, provided only on condition that various taxes were paid to bandit duels on tho way. When at last Foochow was readied it was found that the trip had cost 1.500 Mexican dollars. However, this sum was promptly refunded to the members of the party by the Amciican Mr Shepherd mentioned the fact that a group of Spanish Roman Catholic priests and five nuns had found it utterly impossible to escape to the coast. Accordingly, tho missionaries asked them to join their party. The nuns discarded their robes and disguised themselves as Chinese, ladies; the priests attired themselves in tho evcivday dross of Europeans. Thus was their escape contri^ Shortly after arriving at loodiow ihc travellers all went on to Shanjjjlisij and were there when the city was taken by the Nationalists. Mr Shepherd added that there had been considerable criticism at the sending of British, American, and .fnpanc.se troons to Chum. But they knew bevond all doubt, that, bad they not enjoved such protection, the Communists who had entrenched themselves in and around the settlement , would certainly have massacred two-thirds of the foreign population and looted cverv dwelling-place. He bad nothing but the highest praise for tho British, American, and Japanese troops. On the voyage to China they had been carefully instructed to bo sympathetic towards the real aspirations of the Chinese people. While in ShaDßliai thev alwavs walked down the centre of the streets so ns not to interfere with pedestrians, and they were extremely polite in all their relationships with the Chinese people.