CHINESE OUTRAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19459, 15 October 1926, Page 11

CHINESE OUTRAGES.

[WAS ON FOREIGNERS. ATTACK ON FRENCH BOAT. MORE VESSELS SEIZED. OUTBURSTS OF VIOLENCE. MISSIONARIES RESCUED. By Telegraph—Pi ess Association— Copyright (Received 7.5 p.m.) ■A. and N.Z.-Sun. PEKING. Oct. Is. It is reported that Chinese troops opened fire on the French gunboat Alerte ©n tho Yangtse-Kiang River, between Wusueh and The former town is about 90 miles south-east of Wuchang find the latter about 120 miles. One sailor was killed and one was pounded. The French Admiral, with two gunboats, has loft Shanghai for the scene of ihe outrage. More foreign vessels on tho upper reaches of the river have been seized by the Chinese irrespective of what national flag they were uncer. Five of these ships •were recently taken down stream in charge of troops. Two fresh outbursts of anti-foreignism occurred. One w.'is at Changte, in the province of Hunan, about 125 miles south of Ichang. The second case was at Ningpo, the north-eastern port of the Chekiang province, where British property was attacked. In several instances personal violence perpetrated. # A British emissary, Mr. Wheeler. recently went to Sian, in the province of Shensi, to arrange for tho evacuation of that city by British missionaries who were being detained by Chinese soldiers. Mr. Wheeler has telegraphed to the British Legation at Peking stating that, thanks to the assistance rendered by the govejnor of tho province, most of the foreign missionaries in Sian have been safely removed. PANIC AT WUCHANG. NUMEROUS PEOPLE KILLED. SIEGE AND CAPITULATION. HANKOV7. Oct. 8. Terrible loss of life occurred in the besieged Chinese city of Wuchang, while non-combatants were being rescued. Great numbers of people swarmed upon a bridge and crowded each other go (plosely that hundreds fell into the river, about 300 losing their lives. The Chinese Red Cross is engaged in the rescue of thousands of non-com-batants in the doomed city. By agreement both armies ceased firing in the morning, and two launches, towing several lighters, approached tho South Gate of the city. A crowd of 50,000 people immediately broke through the military cordon and surged on to the piers of the bridge in spite of the officers' warnings that they would shoot if this took place, T'h-3 weaker people were trampled upon when tho pier was filled, and began falling into the water. Fifteen women and children were trampled to death at one spot. Two or three hundred were rescued, and a few swam to land. The Red CroSs leaders estimate that 300 persons were killed. Tho refugees aro in a pitiful condition, and emaciated through starvation. General Snn Chuf.n-fang escaped in a cruiser, about 30,C00 of his troops being left to their fate in the Nanchang sector. Tho fall of Wuchang was followed by General Yang Sen's retirement upon Ichang. Tho Red victories, coupled with the reentry of Feng Yu-hsiang, tho "Christian" general, into tho Shensi province, makes possible the declaration of a Nationalist republic south-west of tho Yellow River. British interests in the lower Yangtse area are seriously concerned about the probabilities arising from the defeat of Sun, as it is expected that the boycott against British trade will be extended to the Shanghai district. "■ ■ i