CIVIL WAR FACTIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19604, 5 April 1927, Page 9

CIVIL WAR FACTIONS.

NORTHERNERS ADVANCING. SOUTHERN TOWN TAKEN. i CHANG TSO-LIN'S SUCCESS. NOW AWAITS NATIONALISTS. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. * (Received April 4, 10.56 p.m.) A. and N.Z. ' PEKING. April i. It is officially announced from the headquarters of the Jtlanchurian war lord, Marsha! Chang Tso-lin, that the latter's army has captured Yencheng. This town is down the Peking-Hankow railway about 90 mil6S south of Chengchow. It is understood that Chang does not intend to advance further south at present in view of the possible danger to both flanks of his army but that he will await developments near the southern border of the Shantung province. The Nationalists are advancing northward in that direction against Marshal Chaog Tsung-charig, commander of the Shantung army. ' If the news regarding Yencheng is true it means that Chang Tso-lm is now within 200 miles of Hankow and within 100 miles of the advance-guard of the Nationalist ermy in Southern Honan. NATIONALISTS GUILTY. OUTRAGES AT NANKING. FOREIGN EXODUS CONTINUES. (British Official Wireless.) A. and N.Z. RUGBY. April 3. Further investigations into list week's happenings at Nanking have established the fact beyond question that the killing of foreigners and the complete looting of practically all the foreign houses in the city, including the three Consulates, was the work of Nationalist soldiers from jfce Hunan province. At least eight foreign houses were burned down. The looting continued for several days after the outrages of March 24, vfheui seven foreigners were killed and a number of others were wounded. Fantastic stories have been circulated by certain Chinese and other sources to the effect that the shells which were 45red from the British and American warships on that date caused the deaths of thousands of Chinese and damaged half the city. Actually the casualties to fchinese cnvilians are reliably reported to have numbered only three. The fire from the warships was opened •just in tmie to prevent ft wholesale massacre of foreigners. It was directed on to unocct'v>ied ground near Secony Hill for the> protection of a party of foreigners vjho were themselves escaping under fire fnom Chinese soldiers. Chinese tnoops have now mounted a 10-inch gun on Lion Ilill, at Nanking, ?vhich commands the river. The remaining foreigners from Changsha, 200 miles south-west of Hankow, have reached the latter city. At Wuhu, 60 miles south-west of Nanking, a Spanish,' bishop and 21 priests are now on board a British cruiser, the Caradoc, to which the foreign community Was withdrawn during a demonstration yesterday. At Kiu-kiang, 125 miles south-east of Hankow, which, the American, and Japanese communities are about to evacuate, a serious warning was given to the local authorities by the British, American and Japanese naval commanders and Consuls. This has had a ■alutary effect in easing the situation, iFKACAS AH 1 HANKOW. JAPANESE AJSi D A MOB. Nationals bein£ evacuated. (Received April 4, 5-5 p.m.) Sim. SHANGHAI. April 3. It is reported from Hankow that a frfash occurred between a party of Japan*so bluejacket* and a m»ob of Chinese. The evacuation of all .Japanese subjects the Hankow concession has been (gcksed.