EVACUATION OF HANKOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19558, 10 February 1927, Page 13

EVACUATION OF HANKOW.

STORY OF CRITICAL PERIOD.

VIOLENCE OF CHINESE MOB.

PROVOCATIVE EFFORTS FAIL,

DEFENDERS* CALM ENDURANCE.

[from our own correspondent.] SHANGHAI, Jan. 11.

As a direct result of the strong antiforeign, or rather anti-British, feeling which the Cantonese, aided and abetted by their Soviet advisers from Moscow, have incited in every town the Nationalist Army has occupied, all foreign women and children have been forced to evacuate Hankow, Kiukiang and Ichang. Another result is that the British concession at Hankow, which was established in 1861 by treaty with Great Britain, as a concession in which British nationals might reside in peace and security and administer in accordance with British procedure, has been forcibly occupied by the Nationalist Government of Canton.

The Republican flag of the Cantonese is now flying at the headquarters of the Hankow British municipality and at the British police station. It is worthy of note that neither the French nor the Japanese concession at Hankow has been interfered with by the nationalists. Trouble occurred at Hankow a few days before Christmas, when a party of some 300 Cantonese soldiers attempted to march in a procession through the Birtish concession, and it was known to the authorities that "something special" was promised for the New Year. The Cantonese had proclaimed a three days' holiday, and proposed to conclude the festivities with a lantern procession . round, or, if possible, through the British concession, and an illuminated launch procession up and down the river in front of the concession. On Sunday, January 2, a party of 100 unarmed Chinese soldiers entered the British concession and tried to take possession of the Hankow Club. They were, however, ejected by a small patrol of marines. Wire and Sandbag Barricades. The real trouble started on Monday, when a huge crowd collected round the customs building, which is situated just beyond the boundary of the British concession. Placards depicting John Bull in various uncomplimentary attitudes were displayed and fiery speeches were delivered by orators in uniform. In anticipation of the trouble, the British authorities had already erected, just inside the settlement boundary, barbed-wire barricades with two openings to allow legitimate traffic to pass in ana out of the settlement, while further along the Bund a substantial sandbag barricade had been built. By mid-day the situation began to develop seriously, and - it was necessary to call out a party of marines who, with the help of an armoured car, managed to disperse the rabble without firing a shot. Early in the afternoon the mob again collected and started threatening the marines and the special police who were holding the barbed-wire barricades. The mob hurled insulting epithets at the defenders, spat in their faces, pelted them with stones and made them suffer pertain indignities too obscene to mention in print; but still that little hand of less than 100 foreigners calmly, and with wonderful patience and self-control, resisted the attack of an infuriated mob of Chinese estimated at approximately 5000. It was obvious that the agitators in the crowd were egging on the mob to provoke the defenders into firing, but for over five hours they held their ground without firing a shot. Bombardment of Stones. All the time the stone-throwing was getting worse and worse. Fortunately the defenders were wearing steel helmets, which afforded a certain amount of protection, but every now and again one of the band would have his face laid open by a stone and would fall back to have a piece tff plaster put on, and then resume his place in the defence line. The mob then tried to rush the settlement on the left of the defending line, between the foreshore and the river, and a brisk hand-to-hand fight ensued. The defenders used their batons and fists freely, while the Chinese used bamboo poles and stones. In the melee, one of the sailors tripped and fell. He was badly mangled by the mob and knocked insensible, his face and head being cut open and his body bruised and battered. Another sailor, who went to the assistance of his fallen comrade received a nasty wound in the leg with a bayonet one of the mob had taken from the sailor on the ground. Several Chinese were wounded in the affray, and the mob retired, while the wounded among the defenders were taken to the hospital. Eventually the officer in charge of the defending party considered it advisable to withdraw his forces to the sandbag defences further up the Bund, and a new line of defence was established across the Bund and the foreshore down to the river, with three Lewis guns in the centre. The mob immediately tore up the wire barricade and advanced to the shelter of a rickshaw stand, from which they rained stones on the defenders at close quarters. A party was sent out to demolish the rickshaw stand, and the mob made a bonfire of the pieces. Great praise is due to the little band of heroic defenders, consisting of marines, sailors, volunteers and special police, for their wonderful patience and endurance. For hours this small band were bombarded with stones, and subject to every insult the mob could devise, but their discipline was so good that not a single shot was fired in self-defence. Chinese Officer's Threat.

Early in the afternoon the British authorities established communications with the Chinese military authorities, who promised to send a force to restore order. Finally, about six o'clock in the evening, a squad of about 20 Chinese police, in charge of an officer, arrived on the scene. This officer, through an interpreter, informed the British authorities that the mob was entirely out of control, and that if a single shot was fired by the defenders not a- foreigner in Hankow would be left alive. The officer suggested that the Chinese police should be allowed to take control, and that the British defence force should retire.

Notwithstanding their promises, the Chinese police did nothing to restore order, and by seven o'clock the mob had so far advanced that the sandbag post was almost entirely surrounded. About this time a high Chinese military officer, accompanied by a troop of soldiers, appeared, and, by mutual agreement between the British Consul-General' and the Chinese officer, the defence of the settlement was handed over "to the Chinese authorities, Chinese troops were posted inside the concession, and thpBriiish defence force was withdrawn to headquarters. The crowd gradually dispersed, and by 8 p.m. everything on the Bund was quiet. Immediately following these events the lantern procession was held. Huge crowds attended, and it is reported that two were killed in the crash and many injured. The illuminated launch parade was held at 9 p.m., the launches steaming slowly down the river past the British Bond with all their whistles and sirens sounding. Hankow Resident Attacked by Mob.

A German resident of Hankow, a Mr. Burnieister, when returning to the Concession after visiting a friend, a medical officer at the Melotio Hospital, situated in the- native city of Hankow, was attacked by an infuriated mob, late on Monday afternoon. With cries of "Kill

the foreigner," the Chinese attacked Mr. Burmeister with knives, and in a very short time the unfortunate man was lying in the street, a mass of blood from head to foot.

Leaving their victim for dead, the mob decamped. Mr. Burmeister, however, managed to drag himself to the nearest barricade manned by a British landing party. He was immediately taken to the International Hospital. It was found that Mr. Burmeister had altogether 35 knite wounds in his head and body, and at the time of writing it is extremely doubtful whether he will survive.

Following the rioting on January 3, a big mass meeting, -which was attended by representatives of the various departments of the Nationalist Government and by the leaders of 'all the labour unions, was held in the native city of Hankow to discuss the situation. Government speakers and agitators made speeches declaring that several Chinese had been killed and wounded by the marines. It was therefore deHded to form a society "to disarm the British force and to take back the concession." Mob Again Assembles.

Following the: meeting, a large mob of Chinese again gathered on the British Bund, but the authorities realised that the defence force available was inadequate to deal with the situation and that any show of armed resistance would doubtless result in great danger to the civil population. The mob partially destroyed the British War Memorial opposite the British Consulate and plastered it with Nationalist flags and communistic manifestoes. Another mob stormed the headquarters of the British municipal police. Three of the Chinese police attached to the station were killed in the attack. Finally, the station was captured by the mob, the Union Jack was torn from the station pole and the flag of the Nationalist Government was hoisted. The British officers at the station barricaded themselves in a small room and were afterWards rescued by an armoured car. All the foreign banks closed their doors and business was at a "standstill. For a time the anti-foreign feeling was so intense that it was not safe for Britishers to venture in the streets even in daytime.

The Decision to Evacuate. The situation rapidly went from bad t-o worse. The settlement authorities therefore requested Mr. Eugene Chen, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government, to make a statement At a meeting of the leading British members of the community, Mr. Chen declared that the Nationalist Government could control the situation and that there was no reason for panic. In.spite of Mr. Chen's assurance,. there was an entire lack of confidence in not only his willingness, but also his ability to restore order. It was therefore decided late on Wednesday afternoon to evacuate all the women and children from Hankow, and before midnight everyone was safely aboard the various steamers, bound for Shanghai. Those in the outlying districts were collected by armoured trucks and motorcars.

Few had time to collect more than a little wearing apparel, many hastening to the steamers with nothing more than the. clothing they wore. As the refugees made their way through the streets of Hankow to the waiting steamers, frenzied Chinese orators, mounted on boxes, wero urging the mob to violence against the British and other foreigners. Everyone states that the anti-foreign feeling was so strong that it was dangerous for a foreigner to venture into the streets even in daytime. Insulted and Menaced by the Mob.

The women refugees stated that they were abused and cursed by angry mobs of Chinese while on their way to the boats. Stones were thrown at them and in some instances the Chinese spat upon them. Their menfolk escorting them to the steamers were forced to suffer these insults in silence, knowing that any retaliation would result in a murderous onslaught upon men, women and children. At Kiukiang the steamers picked up 26 members of various missions who had been forced to leave, their missions in the interior.

The journey from Hankow took three days. Everyone suffered a certain amount of discomfort from the cold and through overcrowding. One steamer that has accommodation for 20 first-class passengers carried 122 men, women and children. On the way down to Shanghai a baby was born on one of the refugee ships. The ships reached Shanghai late on Saturday afternoon with 300 refugees, mostly women and children.