HANKOW ABLAZE

Grey River Argus, 27 October 1938, Page 7

HANKOW ABLAZE

ENTRY OF JAPANESE Chinese Destroy Many Buildings [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.l HANKOW, October 25. Striking from three points, Japan? ese entered Hankow suburbs and are firmly entrenched in commanding positions. . Huge fires are raging to-night throughout the ctiy and present a .terrifying spectacle, added to which are the groans of wounded and dying, the crackle of wooden houses, and the cries of Chinese seeking to escape from the flames. The city will be another Canton soon The fires which are breaking out will join a tremendous conflagration. The Chinese systematically set Are to public buildings before departing. . , ~ Dawn to-day revealed an indescribably pathetic spectacle of retreating Chinese troops fleeing southwards and westwards. The streets werq, crowded with hurrying refugees, and littered with abandoned domestic household goods. It is reported that refugees were machine-gunned by low-flying Japanese planes as they streamed along the highways west of Hankow. The Japanese to-day occupied only part of the city.' The last of the Chinese troops had gone before the first Japanese entered. END OF THE WAR? HANKOW, October 25. Japanese believe that Hankow’s fall will mark the final stage of the hostilities. CITY NOT DEFENDED. LONDON, October 25. The Japanese'motorised column entered the city area of Hankow at 9.35 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time. ' An official statement gays that the city is not being defended. The Chinese troops are' withdrawing. | With the departure of the Government, the special administrative districts created have been handed oveiv to the refugee zone committee. Spread of the Fires HANYANG ALSO BURNING LONDON, October 25. The Hankow correspondent of the British United Press says: The fires are spreading very rapidly. The factory district is ablaze. The Chinese are blowing up aerodromes and other, military posts. The Wuchang district was set on fire, in which two British subjects and eight Americans are marooned. A similar outbreak occurred at Hanyang. Foreigners are frantically pumping water from the river m the endeavour to check the flames. The normal city supply is cut off. The Japanese continue to occupy Hankow without resistance.

SAFETY ZONE SET UP. IN HANKOW. LONDON, October 25. It is learned in London that the Japanese and Chinese authorities have agreed to the establishment of a safety zone at Hankow, the zone which will cover an area of the French and the former British, Russian and German Concessions, and a certain portion of a Chinese town is practically assured. Arrangements were mostly made by foreign missionaries and merchants of Hankow, headed by the French missionary, Pere Jacquinot. Distressing scenes were witnessed in the foreign areas, to which the distraught Chinese fled, hoping for refuge, but the English, French and American Concessions arg overflowing. The British and other concessions closed their gates at mid-day, and blue-jackets manned the barricades, but these were opened repeatedly, though all armed Chinese were refused admission. It was impossible to-night to move'along the side-walks in the British area, for destitute Chinese. .. One hundred blue-jackets are billeted at the British Consulate. The Italians arid Americans, are taking similar precautions. The* gunboats Gnat and Tern are standing by off the German Concessions. The American flagship Luzon, is near the British concession. The Yangtse above Hankow is closed. The Japanese renewed the request for foreign shipping to move up the river, as it is difficult to guarantee that no attack will be made on the Chinese taking refuge in the vicinity. The British naval authorities refused to move.

CHIANG KAI SHEK’S DEPARTURE. ; HANKOW, October 25. ; If is now stated that Kai Shek abandoned the city, in order to conserve) the Kwangtung army for battle mi. Western Hunan. | Marshal Chiang Kai Shek and Mrs Chiang Kai Shek have arrived at Chengtu. BOMBING 1 OF SHIPS. BY JAPANESE. MANY CHINESE DROWNED. LONDON, October 25. ( The Shanghai correspondent of the “News-Chronicle” reports that in addition to the 1000 victims drowned when the Kongsin was sunk, -the Japanese bombed and sank the Sian-; yang and an unnamed collier in Lake TOngting in the Yangtse-kiang, drowning 2000 and 5000 respectively. One huiidred were saved. BRITISH BOAT BOMBED. SHANGHAI, October 25. Officials of the Japanese China Sea fldet, in a statement, said the authorities believe, that the bombing of the Sandpiper was due to a mistake and they are still investigating the incident. An eye-witness at Changsha says that the gunboat had not moved for two days; She was flying the British flag, and the superstructure was’ ( painted red, while and blue. Six ( bombers flew overheard slowly, suddenly veered and dived in mass for- ' mation, each' releasing a single bomb

only. One landed near the gunboat, fragments rattling aboard, smashing the hatch and making a hole in the cabins. RUGBY, October 25. Following representations made »it Tokio by Sir R. Craigie on his own initiative the Japanese vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs called on Sir P. Craigie last evening to convey an expression of the deep regret of Japan at the bombing of the Sahdpiper. He gave assurances of an immediate, inquiry into the circumstances and the responsibilities. . TOKIO, October 25. Naval headquarters reiterate that the bombing of the Sandpiper was accidental. They state that British information led the Japanese Naval .Command to believe the Sandpiper :was at Hankow. JAPAN’S NEW AMBASSADOR. RUGBY, October 25. i Mr Mammoru Shigemitsu, who succeeds M. Yoshida as Japanese Ambassador in London, has arrived. , Mr. Shigemitsu,. in a statement, said : The Japanese greatly admire the statesmanship of the British leaders, tin striving to guide the world in the path of peace. I pledge all my efforts, to secure a lasting Anglo-Japan-ese friendship.

CHINESE CONSUL’S COMMENT. RELIEF SCHEME FOR REFUGEES. WELLINGTON, October 25. I Chinese in New Zealand were deeply grieved at the fall of Canton 'said the Chinese Consul, Mr Feng Wang,-to-dav. It was the home town of the majority of the Chinese living in New Zealand. A large proportion of the Cantonese in the Dominion, however, came, not from the city itself, but from the country districts, and’ so had the comfort of realising that was unlikely that their re'latives in China were endangered by the bombardment of the city. Canton, he said, had been largely evacuated by the civil population for some while. The inhabitants, had m-v--ed out into the adjacent countryside, living in small villages which would hardly invite air-raids or attacks by the Japanese invaders. As it was likei ly in these circumstances that the casualties among the civilians .in Canton would have been comparatively small, it was. not proposed to make any special effort or raise any special fund for the Cantonese refugees. The Chinese Relief Fund was still operating, and its proceeds would no doubt be used to alleviate any suffering in the stricken areas. No particular services or meetings would be held In sympathy with the people of Canton, nor would Chinese shops or offices be closed. The Consul produced a report from Hankow, stating that a New Zealand er, Mr Rewi Alley, was taking a leading part in the Chinefee Government organisation to rehabilitate and provide for the refugees from Canton and other cities laid waste by warfare. Mr Alley was serving as a technical adviser to the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, as the relief organisation was termed, and was at present direct ing operations in Hankow. The aim of the movement supported by Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek and Dr H. H. Kung, Minister for Finance, wag to set up small factory industries in as many villages as possible, to abslrb the refugees into the working population, and not only make them self-sup-porting, but provide valuable supplies t 0 the armies at the front. Modern production methods were being intro-: duced into the villages and at the same time the traditional handicrafts were being stimulated to enable the refugees to produce the numerous essential articles formerly manufactured in the cities shattered by the war. It was a nation-S’ide movement to make the war refugees self-support-ing and productive, safeguard the livelihood of the Chinese people, and strengthen China’s economic structure. ■ i i The Government had) granted the •movement 5,000,000 dollars as inaugural capital. It will undertake to market or to purchase goods manufactured under the scheme. An early feature was the drive to manufacture 5,000,000 of the thick, padded jackets, worn by the Chinese troops, before the close of the Asiatic winter. It is believed that the Cantonese cjiven from their city will already have been absorbed by this and similar schemes. f | TELEGRAPH TRAFFIC. HANKOW COMMUNICATIONS UNCERTAIN. I WELLINGTON, October 26. Hong Kong advises that communication with Hankow is at present iritteffupted, and that messages are subject to delay and uhcertain delivery. Consequently messages will be (accepted only at the risk of the stefider.

' N.Z. DOCTORS PRAISED , WELLINGTON, October 26. Warm praise to Doctors Robert Gray (Auckland) and Hector C. Treniewan (Wellington) for the splendid services in the Sino-Japanese war area were paid by dt a public welcome in their honour. The welcome was arranged by the Far East Relief Committee of the joint council of the Order of St? John and the New Zealand’ Red Cross Society. The DeputyMr M. F. Luckie, presided. The Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) represented the Government. He stated that the Government by donating £lOOO had shown it recognised the good work done by the organisation which launched the appeal. The experience the two doctors had gained in China must prove a value to. them, and to the community, in the future.