WAR ON COMMUNISTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 April 1927, Page 7

WAR ON COMMUNISTS

CANTONESE NEW POLICY

LEADER’S FIRM ACTION

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Assn.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.)

SHANGHAI, April 8.

Action against the Soivet in Pekin, Tientsin and Shanghai, synchronises with the strengthening of an important anti-Communist move by Chiang Kai Shek who has issued strict orders that no civilian may possess arms in the streets. This is aimed at the pickets and Communist civilian army. Several armed agitators, near’ the west gate of the native city, refusing to disarm, were shot dead by the .southern troops. All the vernacular printing offices have received notice prohibiting the publication of anything from the Political Bureau, Hankow, or any advertisement containing malicious propaganda and threatening punishment for disobedience of notice.

Chiang Kai Shek is also making elaborate preparations, both military and politically, to fight Communists in the party. His present difficulty is that no rule of the Kuomintang bars Communists from membership, therefore he cannot expel them, without a new rule which may only be passed by a party convention. This, Chiang Kai Shek intends to call at Nanking in the near future. Meanwhile he is receiving solid support from all the middle class Chinese who are ‘ daily carrying resolutions, and issuing manifestos urging the expulsion of the Reds. China’s banks are supplying all the funds Chiang Kai Shek needs. He is receiving additionally, the customs surtax amounting approximately to a million taels monthly. An important conference of leading Southern generals was held at Shanghai, at which strong anti-Communist resolutions were passed. Only one is published, which urged strong action. The others were not published because they stipulated the specific measures in that direction.

RUSSIAN TROOPS MOVING.

LONDON, April 7

Soviet despatches received in London report the massing of at least three Russian battalions on the borders of Manchuria and Mongolia. Some believe that this is connected tvith the strained relations between China and the Soviet, but official circles deprecate any alarmist interpretations. They particularly deprecate the idea that this may portend a Chino-Soviet war.

oointed bull that Russia is unlikely to forget that a declaration of war would only recoil on herself, because it would frustrate the Soviet’s present methods of conducting a Ivor Id-Communist campaign. For example, Britain would be enabled to intern or deport every Russian intriguer and agitator, and, presumably, every British Dominion would take similar action.

Well-informed sources regard the presence of the Russian troops on the frontier as being rather a threat, with the view to preventing Chang Tso Lin proceeding further south against the Cantonese troops.

EMBASSY NOT RAIDED

LONDON, April 8

The official version of the Pekin raid, which has reached Downing Street, shows, as anticipated that the Russian Embassy w’as not affected. The Chinese authorities had information that arms and ammunition were stored in offices of the Dal Bank, Chinese Railway and the Russian indemnity commission, and were also used for subversive propaganda. None of the buildings in any way enjoyed diplomatic immunity, and anyhow the Soviet long ago renounced such privileges even for the embassy building. The Chinese police issued a search warrant, and obtained the authority of senior member of the Diplomatic Body, because the buildings are within the Legation quarter. Throughout the raid, the Soviet Embassy proper which is quite a separate building, surrounded by its own walls, was strictly respected. The Chinese police exceeded the authority given by diplomatists in entering the quarters of the Soviet Embassy Guard, though the Soviet, through the surrender of extra territoriality, w’ere not entitled to maintain the guard. The diplomatic body nevertheless protested against the Chinese authorities exceeding their specific authorisation.

SKIRMISHES AT NANKING.

SHANGHAI, April 8.

Simultaneously with the departure of Governor Chang Kai Shek from Nanking, the guerilla forces here again became active. They sniped and wounded a Japanese marine. Immediately after this a large force of Japanese marines took possession oi the streets, they having orders to shoot anything seen moving. As sporadic sniping was continued, the Japanese commander ordered the marines to advance. Before the advance the Japanese swept the streets with Lewis guns. The guerillas rallied, and a short pitched battle followed. Then the attackers escaped in a maze of alleyways. Early next morning a second street battle occurred, but the Japanese marines drove off the attackers, who were Cantonese soldiers. AIR SQUADRON DESPATCHED. LONDON, April 8. The Air Ministry to-day announced that an air squadron comprising three flights of Bristol fighters, have been ordered to Shanghai. Those -well informed hint that they may be used in aerial reprisals, in the event of noncompliance with the Nanking Notes and demands, but this is not admitted officially.

FRENCH POLICY.

PARIS, April 8.

The Government to-day cabled instructions to the Minister" at Pekin, of the limits to which he may act in conjunction with the other Powers regarding the Nanking outrages.

GERMAN REFUGEES.

BERLIN, April 8.

Herr Stresemann rejected the Nationalist demand to despatch a

liner to China to serve as a refuge for Germans, on the ground that the Chinese might misconstrue the * act; also there were plenty of German ships in the Far East.