CHINESE REIGN OF TERROR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20338, 21 February 1928, Page 13

CHINESE REIGN OF TERROR

•CHRISTIANS IMPRISONED. BRITISH DESTROYER’S EXPLOIT. COMMANDER R. B. WILMOTSITWELL TO THE RESCUE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, January 10. Details of a thrilling exploit by a British warship in Chinese waters have been received in London. This concerns the rescue of the Roman Catholic nuns and priests from Swabue, near Swatow, by the destroyer Seraph. The Seraph was in charge of Commander R. B. WilmotSitwell, who served in H.M.B. Philomel in New Zealand waters, and in 1925 married Miss Barbara Fisher, third daughter of Mr and Mrs W. S. Fisher, Epsom, Auckland. Mrs Wilmot-Sitwell is now living in Portsmouth. A Chinese Christian convert from Swabiio arrived here on Boxing Day (writes a Hongkong and reported to the Roman Catholic Bishop Valtorta that three priests and seven nuns were being held prisoner, by Communists at Swabue. and that a Chinese priest was under sentence of death, and had been awaiting execution on Christmas morning. The priests were two Italians and Father F. Wong, a Chinese British subject born in Hongkong. The other captives were three Italian sisters and four Chinese nuns. Ail were arrested by Communists on December 22 for preaching Christianity and were paraded through the streets. The European priests and the nuns were held prisoners while the Chinese were taken to an hotel which the Communists had confiscated. At first the captors ordered the Chinese nuns to oe led to the common prison, but the priests protested, whereupon the Chinese nuns were allowed to join the Italians, Father Wong was chained by his neck and feet and kept with the other prisoners in a filthy gaol, from which prisoners were led out daily for execution. On the walls of the prison hung the executioner’s sword and pistols. The mission building, the convent, and the orphanage were completely sacked and closed down. As soon as Bishop Valtorta received the report he callefl on the Governor and asked his assistance. The bishop was pat in touch with Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt, commander-in-chief of the China station, who immediately ordered the Seraph to prepare to leave. NEGOTIATIONS ON THE SHORE. The Seraph steamed from the harbour at midnight, carrying on board Bishop Valtorta. who had volunteered to act as interpreter, and a Chinese priest named Father Chan. The Seraph arrived at Swabue at dawn, and a rescue party led by Commander Wilmot-Sitwell put off in a motor boat and a whaler. At least 200 soldiers were seen on the shore. They frantically signalled to the sailors not to land. Bishop Valtorta told the crowd that lucre was no reason to oe afraid, and that they simply asked for the surrender of Father Wong and the release of the other missionaries. Wading kneedeep into the water, a soldier took from the bishop a letter to the chief of police. After a wait of half an hour, the reply was received that the authorities were ready to surrender the' European captives, but that since Father Wong was Chinese he must bo dealt with under Chinese law. COMMANDER WILMOT-SITWELL FIXES A TIME LIMIT. A second note was then delivered to the Chinese, saying that the Seraph had come specially for Father Wong, who was a British subject. His immediate release was demanded, and Commander Wilmot-Sitwll fixed a 'time limit for the reply. Half an hour later a written reply arrived saying that since Father Wong was a British subject he would he handed over. Th e reply contained a haughty protest that the Seraph had no business in Chinese waters without permission, and a threat tiiat if the visit was repeated the Chinese would fire on the warship. Soon after all the captives were handed over, including two Chinese foundlings from the convent. The head executioner accompanied the party to the warship, and shook hands with Fathei Wong before his departure. While tne negotiations were proceeding, the Seraph was cleared to guard against any possible attack from the shore, and landing parties got ready. The rescued pai’ty said they believed that the Communists feared an attack by the Canton Government’s anti-Rcd troops, and that they therefore seized The missionaries as hostages, and would have put them to death in the event of an attack. ‘The Seraph left Swabue the same morning and arrived at Hongkong in the” afternoon. WHAT THE PRIESTS SAW. The European priests state that they witnessed executions from their prison windows every day except when the revenue launches were anchored off Swabue. The executions, which began ip the 13 administrative centres of the Hoilukfung districts, have extended to all the big villages in which the Soviet organisation is complete. Tb e Communists kill on their own authority, resorting to the terrorist methods of the Cheka. The victims are often led in procession through the streets bound with ropes and with rings through their noses and ears. On Christmas morning there were 13 executions—nine men and four women. The offence for which they were executed was that they were on friendly terms with the priests. One woman knelt down before the executioner and begged to be shot instead of decapitated or put to death by the slicing method, and her request was granted. As examples of the reign of terror in Hoifung, the priests said that a boy of 18 was credited with 90 executions. Another boy had 30 to his credit, and a girl boasted ’that sh e had killed at least 10 persons.