CHINESE SITUATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3823, 21 June 1927, Page 32

CHINESE SITUATION

THE NATIONALIST ADVANCE. PROGRESS TOWARDS PEKING. REVIEW OF THE SITUATION. RUGBY, June 13. Reviewing the military situation in China, Mr Godfrey Locker-Lampson (Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs) said the latest reports showed that the Northern forces, about 180,000 strong, were holding a line from Lincheng, on the Tientsin-Pukow line, to a bend of the Yellow River, north-east of Kaifeng, continuing along the north bank .of the Yellow River to the north west of Changchow, with a defensive west flank on the Peking-Nankow railway. The Southerners are in touch with the Northerners in most places, and are reorganising their forces on the Lunghai line for a further advance. The strength of their combined armies is roughly 130,000. The Fengtien troops are receiving reinforcements from Manchuria, and appear to bo under good discipline. The Shantung troops are deserting plentifully to the enemy, and the Tientsin-Pukow line remains the weak spot. Hie defence of Shantung now rests on a few hundred Russians, who are concentrated on the Southern border- The Nationalists are advancing slowly from the south, but a more rapid advance is reported from the west, converging on Yenchow. At the same time it is reported that negotiations are going on between the north and the south, but the position in this respect is doubtful.

General Sun Chuan-feng’s troops are reported to be retreating towards the Shantung border. <’ Yen Hei-shan, the Military Governor of Shansi, has declared bis allegiance to the Nationalists.

No great change has taken place in the military situation around Hankow. Kiukiang has been occupied by troops owing allegiance to Marshal Chiang Kai-shek, and his forces have now advanced above that town.

SHANGHAI, June 15.

Japanese residents, fleeing from Hai- , chow (Kiangsu), following the capture of the town by the Southerners, have reached Tsingtao by steamer. They report similar and worse outrages than those when the troops entered Nanking. The town was completely looted and refugees' homes burned. The Southerners boarded the refugee ship and committed outrages and acts of looting prior to allowing it to depart. American marines arrive. SHANGHAI, June 13. i Twelve hundred United States marines from the Philippines, with air aviation unit, tanks, and artillery, have arrived to fill the gap caused by the departure of the Sixth Regiment for Peking. COST OF PROTECTIVE FORCE. LONDON, June 14. Mr H. D. King (Financial Secretary to tlie War Office), replying to a question in the House of Commons, <.s'imated that the British forces in China were costing £250,00 a month. • BRITISH LEGATION AT PEKING. RUGBY, June 16. A question was asked in Parliament whether the matter of withdrawing the British Legation at Peking to the comparative safety of the coast was being considered by the British Government. *Mr Godfrey Locker-Lampson (Under-sec-retary for Foreign Affairs) said the Government was giving full and constant consideration to this question, but there was no present intention of withdrawal. HANKOW GRADUALLY SURROUNDED. - SHANGHAI, June 17. As the result of reports that the tide of battle continues unfavourable to the Northerners, and the declaration by Chang Japanese troops have been despatched to Tso-lin” that he cannot guarantee the safety of Japanese, . 1500 additional Japanese troops have peen despatched to Tsinan (Shantung), and reinforcements from, the Sasebo naval base are mobilising. It is reported that as the result of the threatening situation, Hankow is being gradually surrounded by adherents of Chiang Kai-shek. Their object is believed to be the ousting of the Reds. The majority of the Hankow forces are returning from the Honan province to defend the seat of the Borodin Government. Feng Yu-hsiang is assuming control of the evacuated territory. There are frequent clashes between the soldiers and police .in Hankow, where typhus has broken out among the wounded who refuse to be quarintined.