THE CHINESE HORROR

Otago Witness, Issue 4041, 25 August 1931, Page 26

THE CHINESE HORROR

FLOODS AND DISEASE '

HAVOC IN YANGTSE VALLEY. SHANGHAI, August 19. Slow death is engulfing the entirb Hankow district, the water continuing to create new high level records. It ife estimated that 30,000,000 inhabitants are affected. The damage is beyond computation. The remaining dykes are crumbling rapidly and the most solift buildings are collapsing. The lack of drinking water and food is spreading the disease, and the absence of lighting at night is creating a situation unparalleled in China’s disasters. The stench of the dead human beingfi and animals adds to the horror. A British naval despatch reports thfe possibility of gunboats negotiating thfe streets in the event of it being necessary to prevent the looting of British property.

A five-storey Chinese hotel which contained hundreds of refugees sagging across the high tension wires and increasing the dangers. Almost all the autumn crops in thfe Yangtse Valley are ruined, and unprecedented famine is ahead. RELIEF FOR SUFFERERS. AMERICAN RED CROSS GRANT. WASHINGTON, August 19. The Red Cross has allotted 100,096 dollars for the relief of sufferers in the Yangtse River floods. The money will be dispensed by a committee at Hankow* A HUGE AREA INUNDATED. SHANGHAI, August 20. The Yangtse flood belt is 1000 mileS long and 50 miles wide. HELP FOR SUFFERERS. TOKIO, August 22. As a mark of sympathy the Emperor is subscribing from the Privy purse 100,000 yen to Chinese sufferers by the Hankow floods and 10,000 to Japanese sufferers. A THOUSAND DEATHS DAILY. SHANSI TROOPS JOINING REDS. SHANGHAI, August 23. Fearing starvation, the Shansi troops are deserting to join the Reds, increasing the menace at Hankow, where the deaths are 1000 daily. Bodies cannot be buried, and are floating about in the flood waters, spreading disease, which has broken out in the refugee concentration camps.

Aerial surveys revealed that 57,009 square miles are deluged.