"RED" COUP IN CANTON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 6 February 1928, Page 2

"RED" COUP IN CANTON

REIGN OP TERROR

EXTRACTS FROM 'MISSIONARY'S

LETTER

In a letter from a lady missionary stationed near Canton to her relatives in Nelson, some interesting particulars are given of the "Red" coup. Extracts from the letter are as follow: 19th December, 1927.

"This has been an awful week. You will have heard of the "Red" coup in Canton long before this reaches you. All day on Monday smoke from Canton City was visible, with ft great glare at night. We were cut off from the city as trains were'stopped and the sound of firing was in the circumstances rather alarming to us as well as to our group of school girls and teachers, as we were in absolute ignorance of the exact nature of thc-ottt-break or its possible issue. It was Sunday night before we got any definite news of the ghastly affair. The 'Keel element had everything in its hands for a while (two days) looting and firing big areas of the city; primarily attacking the police stations and freeing many 'Reel' prisoners. Hall they been able to retain possession I don't know where we would be now, but finally the Government forces won the city again and for the time being any one tinged with red has no mercy shown him. The executions of the 'Red's' which followed have been ruthless. The Russians have suffered severely, and it is difficult to find anyone ready to assert that they haven't deserved it.

•'The Chinese have never been so nervy and overwrought. Last Sunday in church I was wearing a pinky floral ribbon tie, and one of the Christian women said to me 'Oh, Kooneung (Miss) if you go to the city don't wear that tie.'' Red lies were being thrown oft all over the city when the tide turned. On our wav to church we met a messenger from the British Consul with instructions to proceed to Canton for safety; but until we had seen our pupils safely to their homes we could not think of leaving them. On this occasion the Chinese and ourselves are in the same boat as the latest outbreak is not anti-ioreign, but, anii-red. and so long as there were school girls and girl nurses here our duty was plain. On Monday night, however, out committee (mostly Chinese) decided to close school, so when we. have seen our pupils safely to their homes we shall prornptlv obev' Consular directions if anv further urgent order? come—so please don't worry about us. Our Chinese teachers have all now to the city to see how and where their relatives are. Tdo hope it is not bad news that lias delayed their return. "Tuesday in Card on must have been a veritabled-'eign of terror, but 1 think the result will probablv do much to purge the Nationalist partv of their extremists mid the right wing of Hie party ought now to he able to steady themselves for, a time. Had the extremists won it would have been ant.i-everything andeveryone except. 'Red.'—(Later)— Things are again seemingly peaceful, hut we must never let ourselves feel too settled."