CAMPAIGN IN CHINA

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 21 September 1926, Page 7

CAMPAIGN IN CHINA

EXTRA EDITION.

SEIGE OF WUCHANG.

DEFENDERS’ EPIC RESISTANCE BRUTISH STEAMERS RELEASED. BY CABLE —PRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT. Received 12.20 p.m -to-day. PEKIN, Sept. 20. The sie"e of Wuchang is approachin o’ o climax. Red plans are afoot to mine the walls and to tunnel an entrance The food situation m the city is desperate, there being only a week s supply. The blockade is. i complete. There" are 26 foreigners inside, lncluclino- 21 Americans, three British and two Germans. All have been refused exit, though cholera is raging among soldiers iand civilians, killing many. Communications are completely sei erect owing to the Ried determination to starve the defenders to submission. The defenders’ resistance is becoming a. epic, causing <a hold-up of the Bod cam-paig-n and permitting the mobilisation of a strong: anti-Red force and possiblj turning the tide of war. Elsewhere several battles are progressing, without appreciable resmts. Except for the Reverends Air. Jackson Bevan and Woodhanis, who are detained all Europeans and Americans from Wanh.sein have safely arrived at- Icshang. Mr. Jackson states that Yangsen promises them safety, and though they are detained, they are not prisoners, bub are possibly hostages in view ot second naval expedition. 1 ft is reported that Generals bun Chunn Fang and Clhang Tso Lin (have reached an,agreement providing for cooperation against the Reds, the former receiving the Shantung province as a reward in event- of a Red defeat. The Americans in Hankow are endeavouring to send .supplies to Wnc-h----iang for relief of the besieged foreigners. Foreign ships have been warned against anchoring off the Wuchang .side of the river during the blockade. Gholera is also taking its toll in the Red .army. Russian troops in the Red J army are becoming * more prominent , being sent to the front to engage the vanguard of General Sun Oliuan Fang’s force. Catone.se officials at Shanghai emphasise that- the Red campaign is progressing according to plans, meaning that the next step will he the invasion of General Sun Oman Fang’s five provinces, including Shanghai. Several missionaries in the Sianfii and Shensi province have been detained, the Chinese believing that there presence lends security. Prince George has left Shangai to join the cruiser Hawkins at Hankow. Reports of the Wanhsien .negotiations state that an agreement has been .reached for the release of the steamers Wanhsien and; Wantung. but the indemnity question is not .settled. AMERICAN W'ARSHrP FIRED ON. THREE SAILORS WOUNDED. EVACUATION OF FOREIGNERS.

Received 1.15 p.m. to-day. PEKIN, Sept._ 20. An American gunboat was fired on beyond Hankow yesterday, from both banks of the Yangtse, by machine guns. Three sailors were wounOed. Southerners were responsible for the action,. The vessel replied with' machine-gun fire. Foreigners situated at Chunking raid Yangtse gorges are seriously menaced in view of the seriousness of the situation. The evacuation; of the foreigners to Tchaug has beginn. /Two boatloads of foreign refugees left the foreign quarters, which have been occupied by soldiers.