CANTONESE SPLIT

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 April 1927, Page 7

CANTONESE SPLIT

MINISTERS IMPEACHED ANTI-COMMUNIST POLICY (Australian A N.Z. Cable Ab bit . > (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) SHANGHAI, April 15. The Nationalists, at a party meeting at Nanking, reached an impasse. The Nationalist Government at. Hankow adopted a resolution demanding the arrest of several Ministers. Those moderates, styled as the Central Control Committee, dominated by Chiang Kaishek, also demanded the expulsion of Michael Beredin, the adviser to the Nationalists. A resolution demanded the arrests of the following enemies of public order: Beredin George Hsu, Minister of Justice ; Tan Pingshen, Minister of Agriculture ; Chen Tohsu, and Teng Yenta. The latter are allegedly Communist Party leaders. The Committee’s action followed the refusal of the men named to attend the Nanking Conference, called to settle differences within the party. COMMUNISTS ANGRY.

MOSCOW, April 15. The “Communist Internationale” has issued a manifesto declaring Chiang Kaishek a traitor and ally of the Imperialists. The manifesto declares that the capitalist forces are unifying against the revolution. The Soviet newspaper “Pravda.” describes Chiang Kaishek as the centre of the counter-revolution, adding : “He stands on the same plane as Chang Tso Lin. His coup has drawn a deep furrow in the whole history of China’s, liberative struggle. The Communists will accept the chalenge. ” MERCILESS WARFARE SHANGHAI, April 14. What foreigners thought was an ordinary shooting by extremists, at Chapei proved to be the bloodiest slaughter yet in the Chinese struggle. Hundreds of uncaptured Communists made a determined attempt to regain their comrades with arms and ammunition, which the Cantonese forces had rounded up. Realising that the authorities were determined to shoot if the least provocation were given, they attempted to rush the headquarters under the mask of hundreds of women and children, including their own wives, whom they pushed before them, thinking that the soldiers would refuse to fire into the helpless mass. The Communists’ hopes proved horribly unfounded. The soldiers, when the procession was within a few yards of the headquarters gates, opened a deadly fusilade. Twenty women and children fell dead and many were wounded. The Communists, deprived of arms, now formed a hatchet brigade,' and, armed with crowbars, axes, and choppers, they determined not to surrender without further fighting. BRITISH OFFER TO JAPAN SHANGHAI, April 15. Rear Admiral Cameron offered the Japanese Senior Naval Officer, full British naval support for the defence of the Japanese concession at Hankow; also assistance in provisioning the Concession and the naval squadron if difficulties are encountered in securing supplies. Thirty-six foreign men-of-war are now at Hankow, comprising eleven British, thirteen Japanese, three French, seven Amercian and two Italian. BRITISH REINFORCEMENTS LONDON, April 14. The First Battalion of the Queen’s Regiment and two companies of the First Northamptonshires have departed for China. A number of flying boats are also being sent for use on the Yangtze river. AMERICAN WARSHIPS. MANILA. April 15. Four more destroyers in port here have been ordered to proceed to Shanghai with all possible speed. The Simpson and McCormack left immediately on receipt of the order from Admiral Williams, while the Black Hawk and McLeish leave within two days, as soon as the necessary repairs are. completed.

REPLIES TO POWERS. NO DEMAND ACCEPTED. SHANGHAI, April 15. The Nationalist Government replied to the identical notes of the United States, Britain, Japan, France and Italy, protesting against Nanking riots, by failing to agree to any of the Powers’ demands. The reply proposes the appointment of an International Commission to revise unequal treaties and investigate the Nanking affair. Chen despatched five different hut. similar notes to representatives of the Powers in Hankow, wherein he refused to admit the responsibility of the Nationalists for the attacks on foreign citizens and Consulates in Nanking. . . Further, he called attention in the replies to Britain and the United States to the bombardment of “defenceless Nanking,”. also in the replies to Britain and France, he refers to the bombardment of “defenceless Shameen.” His reply to Japan is more conciliatory. CHEN’S ABSURD CHARGE NEW YORK, April 14. Mr| Eugene Chen has issued a socalled appeal to the American people. It is published through Mr. Ernest Moy, representing the Canton Nationalist News Agency. Mr. Chen charges the United States Government with leading American people to participate in a massacre compared with which, he says, “the world war whs a mere ripple on the sea!” . , ' He declares that Japan, Britain and the United States have decided “to plunge into a new world war, so as to solve all the British, Japanese, and American difficulties in the Pacific.” The appeal says, in part: “Not one American citizen or one American cent would have been endangered by the success of the Nationalist revolution in China, if, during the past few

weeks, White House had not adopted new decisions, radically changing America’s old policy in China.” MANCHURIAN WAR MOVEMENTS TOKIO, April 15. Alarming reports come from many points in Manchuria, where Japanese merchants are refusing everything except immediate business. The Mitsui Mitsubishi announce a decision to cease all Russian business. The Japanese Army is installing a series of radio stations along the Korean border. The Soviet Consul-General in Harbin leaves for Moscow, and the Consul at Mukden is preparing to depart. The Japanese Consuls at Mukden and Harbin are meeting at Chang Chun for consultation. Chinese are reinforcing Siberian border guards, while Japanese women and children in the border districts are being evacuated through Harbin and the men are preparing to follow. The Russian Communist Union at Chang Chun, including Eastern employees, are reported to be planning to destroy the engine shed at Kuanchentze and to blow up bridges in the event of expected war. All reports from Manchuria bear evidence of a state of extreme nervousness.