TURMOIL IN CHINA.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10436, 6 January 1927, Page 5

TURMOIL IN CHINA.

UGLY SITUATION DEVELOPS BRITISH CONCESSION ENTERED Electric TelegrapTi—Press Association HANKOAY, January 5. At seven o’clock last evening the Chinese mob entered the British concession and occupied the Customs house and Municipal Building, and expelled the British from the concession. The Chinese police patrolling the concession, are keeping order. SAILORS, MAINTAIN SELF CONTROL. LONDON, January 5 “The British sailors and A'anres behaviour during this afternoon’s ordeal, which called for supreme patience under the severest provocation, is the finest exhibition cf selfcontrol that I have seen, ’ cables Percival Phillips to the Eve ring News” from Hankow. “The naval force from lie Alt ngolia AYoolston and Bee reinforced the Hankow volunteers who were holding the western barricade < n the British Bund. The seamen faced the mob who were acting under the incitement of anti-foreign i curators and were repeatedly edging r,tnr the barricade, which resembled a miniature fort, until (hey wore tj’lhin a yard from the • .mdh.igs, all the time showering abuse an,: stones on the defenders. “The Chinese rush reached the samlbegs and by a flank movement along the undefended foreshore nearly surrounded the post. The *nu! : i es drove the mob back by 1 frontal attack. The mob retired pulling op wire entanglements. FOREIGN OFFICE NOT ALARMED. “Twenty members of the naval force in re-taking the foreshore were attacked with heavy poles. Two of them who lost their steel helmets were beaten on the head a ml had to he sent to the hospital. It is feared that they are fatally hurt. Another fell and a Chinese seized his rifle and bayoneted him in the ieg. Lieutenant Ellis, belonging to the Bee’s force, was struck in the face by stones and two volunteers were injured. The British authorities attempted to reach the Cantonese Government, demanding a quelling of the rising, but received a reply that nobody had authority to act. Later four Chinese police arrived and feebly harangued the crowd, who continued surging around three sides of the sandbags, still abusing the occupants. Yet not a shot was fired and not a single man lost his temper.” The “Daily News” says that the Foreign Office does not atta h seriousness to the Hankow incident and it is not at present believed to be necessary to evacuate the 800 British and 2(K) other foreigners. There will be no difficulty in doing this in the event of necessity owing to the presence of three gunboats and many river craft. INADEQUATE PROTECTION. It is officially reported from Hankow that while the , marines were advancing with fixed bayonets cn the Chinese some were killed. The Cantonese authorities’ action in sending troops to suppress- the disturbance is regarded as a hopeful feature. The “Times’’ Hankow correspondent says that the incident emphasises the present absurdly inadequate protection at Hankow, where rowdies have been ordered to attack the British concession, believing that masses are sufficient to intimidate the thin line of naval men in extended order across the Bund to the foreshore. The Chinese officials issued a proclamation alleging the butchery of “blood brothers” by the British marines. “KILL THE FOREIGN DOGS.” A report that AVu Pei Fu’s troops were defeated at Liuling, 140 miles north of Hankow, lias been partly confirmed. Cantonese are hurriedly moving two armies northward to hold up the expected advance. Correspondents in later messages state that immediately following an agreement between the British and Chinese authorities, under which the marines were withdrawn from the concession and replaced by Chinese police, swarms of rioters invaded the concession, dismantled the sandbag fortifications and defaced the war memorial cenotaph, throwing stones at the foreigners and shouting “kill the foreign dogs.” The naval detachment was temporarily landed again, but later re-embarked owing to the impossibility of refraining from opening fire. The situation at present is most grave. BRITISH CRUELTY ALLEGED. SHANGHAI, January 5. The latest reports from Hankow states that a big mass meeting in the morning was attended by representatives of the Government Departments and all the Unions. The Government speakers and agi-

tators reviewed the previous day’s incident, declaring that several Chinese were killed by the marines. The object of the meeting was to form a society with the object of disarming the British forces and seizing the British concessions. Resolutions were carried emphasising British cruelty.

After the previous clash when the crowds had been driven back the Chinese authorities promised to send troops and an agreement was reached between the Chinese and British that no more marines he landed, leaving the Chinese to maintain the order. Later all the barricades defending the concession were removed by sections of the crowd apparently working according to an organised plan and gradually invading the concession. At the time the message was sent the Chinese defence forces appeared adequate to cope with the situation which at tile moment was not dangerous. FLEET DISPATCHED TO SCENE. SHANGHAI, January 5. Latest reports from Hankow fail to confirm that the British have been driven from the concession. Hongkong reports that the naval authorities there state that the marines were withdrawn 'to avoid trouble. The warships AVishSrt, ATindictiye and Carlisle left there this morning for Hankow. The Enterprise and the Third Destroyer Flotilla ar e already there. There are about 360 EVitish residents in the Hankow concession. WORSE TO COME. Hankow events are forerunners of others worse. It is believed that bloodshed eventually is unavoidable, and the climax is generally regarded as near. A long succession of anti-British outbreaks is expected. The Yangtsze Va I ley will become a holocaust should Britain be forced to retaliate, and there are increasingly hostile demonstrations. The valley is now seething with hatred of Britain. Anti-foreign feeling is almost solely confined to Britain, •Japan and America. The others Powers are being temporarily overlooked. proving conclusively the Soviet influence.