PEOPLE START TO LEAVE CANTON

Grey River Argus, 20 August 1949, Page 5

PEOPLE START TO LEAVE CANTON

N.Z.P.A. —Reuter HONG KONG, Aug 19. Though there is no panic yet, an evacuation of Canton has now begun. Unlike the evacuation of 1938, when the populace fled en masse before the Japanese onslaught, the European colony does not anticipate an acute refugee problem. This time the evacuees are the moneyed Chinese, and foreigners. The British and American Consulates - General in Kunming, the provincial capital of Yunnan, have advised their nationals to evacuate Kunming immediately in view of the war situation. Most officials of the two consulates and their dependents are also to be evacuated. The United States has closed its consul’s office in strategically important Tihua/ capital of Sinkiang province in Chinas far north-west. As far as is known the British Consulate in Tihua is remaining open. The U.S. Consul, Mr J. Hall-Pax-ton, and 15 members of the staff, left by motor caravan for South Kiang, whence they will make their way over the Himalayas. The vice-consul i's remaining to protect the consular property. Tihua, which is 2000 miles north-west of Hong Kong, has long been regarded as the Western listening post for activities in adjoining Soviet Turkestan.