CHINESE BANDITS

Otago Witness, Issue 3610, 22 May 1923, Page 21

CHINESE BANDITS

FOREIGNERS ALARMED. PEKING, May 14. * One thousand soldiers and bandits from Honan arrived at a spot 10 kilometres from Hankow. They demanded 150,000 dollars and ammunition as the price of their departure. The demand was refused. Foreign-"s are alarmed, fearing further trouble. Armoured cars, each carrying 40 picked soldiers, with machine guns, are being attached to the trains on the Peking-Hankow Railway. A STEAMER LOOTED. SHANGHAI, May 14. A Shanghai telegram says that pirates, travelling as passengers, attacked the officers and crew of the Chinese steamer TaiSun, which was bound Rom Hongkong to Shanghai. They secured 6000dol worth of loot after badly wounding the chief officer. Another message says that many Europeans were included among the passengers who were robbed. SHANGHAI, May 15. Several persons were killed and a large number were injured during anti-Japanese riots at Shanghai in the province of Hupei. A Japanese armoured cruiser has been ordered to proceed from Hankow at full speed to the scene of the disorders. THE BANDIT OUTRAGE. PEKING, May 16. With the Government’s consent Wu YTulin, Minister of Communications, and General Van Gi-teh have proceeded to the bandits’ strongholds as hostages in order to obtain the release of the foreigners. REMOVAL OF TROOPS DEMANDED. PEKING, May 17. V. Barube, a French c-aptive, who was released on parole, has arrived at Thao

Chung with further demands by the bandits for the removal of Chinese troops. M. Barube is under a promise to return to the bandits to-day. A FINAL ULTIMATUM. PARIS, May 18. A Shanghai telegram states that according to what the bandits term their final ultimatum which was delivered by M. Barube yesterday, the American and British captives will be shot on Tuesday if the Chinese troops are not withdrawn. WASHINGTON, May 19 The State Department has received advice that the Diplomatic Corps in Peking is sending a fresh Note demanding that the Chinese Government shall withdraw its troops from t'he bandit territory. PEKING, May 18. The Government has announced that further negotiations with the bandits seem to be impossible. The latter have gained numerically, and now demand the withdrawal of all the Government ticops throughout Shantung. GOVERNMENT’S GENEROUS OFFER. PEKING, May 19. Advice received by the Foreign Legations to-day increased the expectation of the release of the captives. The Governor of Shantung telegraphed that a messenger had been sent to the bandits offering the leaders army commissions and agreeing to incorporate the entire bandit force in the Shantung army. The Government troops in the Lincheng district are themselves beginning to murmur because their pay is in arrears, and threats have been made that the troops may join the bandits. The Government, which would agree to the bandits' demands tlrat the Government troops should be withdrawn from Shantung is, however, powerless, because the Tuchuns (military governors) refuse to permit such withdrawal.