CHINESE TROUBLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1927, Page 3

CHINESE TROUBLE.

[BY TELEQItAFH —PER PItESS ASSOCIATION

A WARNING. WASHINGTON, March 21. Admiral w illiams has cabled to the U.S.A. Naval Department that lie lias not fired on the Cantonese, but that unless all the foreigners are brought safely to the British and American warships by ten to-morrow (Friday) morning, the combined licet, will open fire on .Nanking city, treating it as a military area. The Chinese Commander he said had been given until 11 to-night (Thursday) to appear on hoard the Emerald to start negotiation^. Admiral Williams stated lie had grave ' fears for the safety of one hundred [ and fifty-five American women and | children left in Nanking.

SIT EL LING EXP LAIN ED. SHANGHAI March 25

Details of the Nanking affair show that mobs on reaching the British (Consulate immediately looted it. The Consul remonstrated and he immediately received shots. He then hastily evacuated tho place with the staff. The American Consulate adjoining shared a similar fate. The mob followed the occupants shouting “Kill the Foreign Devils!’’ Promiscuous shooting commenced elsewhere in the city. The Cantonese troops on hearing the firing became alarmed. They opened fire on anything and everything. t waterfront conflagration started. The I'nited States destroyers Non and Preston and the British warship Emerald were anchored off shore in the* Yangtze River. These observing distress signals from an American warehouse, where the staff had taken refuge, am 1 which was surrounded by mobs, intervened with their guns. Bullets continually penetrated the walls of th* warehouse. Preparations were made bv the mob to burn the building. Then the warship bombarded the city. Simultaneously a Japanese warship landc-d some marines, one of whom sir instantly killed. The three destroyers used their machine guns, and also used high explosive shells. These caused the mobs to flee.

The extent of the damage done l y the shells is unknown. Immediately after the shelling, two hundred British and one hundred and fifty United States marines were landed in Nanking, and the latter were reinforced by bluejackets. They met a fusilnde of bullets from snipers and other sources. One United States bluejacket was wounded. The navnls'niade a drive to the warehouse," which was successful, and all the refugees were removed, including the British and the American Consuls and their families. SHANGHAI, March 25. At Nanking, the mobs, instigated by. plain clothes agents, who were preceding the Canton troops, fired the warehouses on tho waterfront, which are now burning fiercely.

EUROPEAN REFUGEES. SHANGHAI, March 25. The position at Nanking is still obscure. Bast night’s reports that some of the naval landing party were killed is not confirmed. One seaman aboard the British warship Emerald was killed by a bullet from the shore from which the warships were constantly fired on. . The landing pfirty brought off thirty one foreigners, but there are still seventeen British unaccounted for, including the wounded Consul and six marines, also 150 Americans, comprising ninety men, sixty women and child k ren. L t The Naval authorities have requested the Southern Commander to issue , immediate orders for the protection of these, and to provide an escort of reliable Chinese soldiers to assist in the evacuation, but im satisfactory reply bad been received up to an early hour this morning.

AMERICANS AFRAID. SHANGHAI, March 25

Later refugees from Nanking state the majority of the foreigners are still there. The veteran missionaries at Nanking refused to leave, despite the Consul’s

•warning. The American, Admiral Williams has ordered drastic measures, if necessary, to effect a rescue of the remaining Americans. The American Consul-General at Shanghai has wirelessly broadcasted a request to nil Americans in the interior of China to leave immediately, and has ordered the heads of the Mission at Shanghai to retiall the missionaries. MASSACRE REPORTED. SHANGHAI, March 25. In authoritative unofficial circles it is reported that over one hundred Americans and twenty Britishers, as well as the Japanese Consul, have been destroyed; also that the British Consul has succumbed to wounds. The authorities at Shanghai are ta ving over the native quarters from the Chinese. . A Japanese wireless received a Shanghai from Nanking says that all Japanese houses in the city have been completely looted, but the Japanese Consul and the other Japanese are safe, two being slightly wounded. TWO THOUSAND CASUALTIES. SHANGHAI, March 25. Nothing received by naval wireless liears out local Ivuomintang reports as to the Chinese killed at Nanking. The Ivuomintang reports state that there were two tliousaipl Chinese casualties at Nanking. As a matter of fact, the naval fire was directed mainly behind the hill, the idea being to provide a curtain of fire between the forces outside the city, who were shelling the hill, and the foreigners, to permit the evacuation of the latter.

i 'AMERICAN FEELING. NEW YORK, March 25. The Nanking outrage stirred up deep feeling here. The newspaper comment, however, is restrained, hilt it nevertheless indicated the belief that the time has come for action. The “New York World” points out that the irony of the situation is that those killed were not in China for her exploitation, hut to help as educators and missionaries. The “Tribune” says : —“The American troop action against the Chinesemav bring down on America the bitterness hitherto directed against Britain, but it will doubtless align the Foreign Powers in a single policy. The “New York Times” says: Americans hope no effort will be made to attack the foreigners at Shanghai. Tliev cannot but believed that Britain and the United States are assembled in sufficient force to make an effective defence in case the trouble spreads to the city. ’ HUGE FIRES. SHANGHAI, March 25. At midnight both in Nanking and in Pukow, fires were raging, and went on unchecked. His-Okuan is also reported .to be on fire. U.S.A. AYARSHIPS. MANILIA, March 25. Ono American destroyer has departed for Foochoo, Amoy and Swatow respectively this morning.