CHINESE TURMOIL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16317, 18 April 1927, Page 4

CHINESE TURMOIL

SHANGHAI LIKE PASSCHENDAELE MENACE INCREASES SHANGHAI, March 19. The British battle front in this city looks like Passchendale at the end of winter, with its long stretches of water and mud. British-lndian troops are throwing up trenches, burrowing dugouts, wiring and building sandbag emplacements. Even Chinese graves have to he removed, in order to permit construction of these defensive positions, but they were treated with the greatest reverence, and I lie dead were reburied elsewhere.

The British Tommies have given the familiar names of Piccadilly Circus, the Strand and Whitehall to points along the defence line, and the scene of activity closely resembles that of a, section of (he western front during the Great War, where certain defensive positions were’ known by these “home” names. if a riotous attfempt is made to break into the settlement, sticks and bayonets wilt he used to beat back the invaders, but in the case of an organised _ raid, machine-guns, supported by artillery, are in readiness, for the British Government is determined In prevent any repetition of the Hankow disturbances. BRITISH MARINES MOBBED PEKING, March 18. Coolies belonging to the “Avenging Society” clashed with British marines at Chungking yesterday and seized naval stores being conveyed from a British gunboat to the British canteen ashore. The marines, who were unarmed, were accompanied bv British Consul Pratt. They gave chase when the coolies seized the stores and the iatter dropped them. When the marines picked up the goods again, however, a mob of Chinese attacked them with sticks and stones and the British were forced to abandon the supplies. The British suffered no serious injuries. Consul Pratt protested to the Chinese authorities. LOCKED IN ROOM BY CHINESE SHANGHAI, March 18. C. E. Geddes, formely of a well-known British firm, told the* police to-day he had been locked in his own house by four armed Chinese and forced to sign cheques totalling 8000 taels, or about 81000. * The Chinese entered the house, rounded up the Chinese servants and confined them m a cupboard, tied Geddes’ legs and beat him about the head and face with a revolver until he signed the cheques, lie was released to-day in an exhausted condition after the cheques had been cashed. WORLD’S MOST ANCIENT NAVIES WILL NOT FIGHT TILL PAID PEKING, March 15. The defection of the navy at Shanghai, in which the Yangtse squadron of 17 vessels went over in its entirety to the Cantonese has not affected the war situation up to the present, except to add to the mountain toll of treachery, another tragic-comic incident. The squadron, the best ships of which are two cruisers of 3000 tons 30 years old, which changed masters whenever the masted became tired of being paymaster for the flock oF obsolete craft, declared its independence, after a quarrel with the Shangtungese over the usual monthly subsidy. It is at present lying off Woosung, flying the Nationalist flag.

The Nationalists boast that the ships will be useful to cut off tho retreat of the Shantung troops if they are forced to cross the Yangtse river. It is reported that General Chang Tsung Chang, their commander, has ordered the still loyal squadron in the south to give battle. j In the remote event that the two squadrons clash the spectacle would be present of an argument between the world’s most antiquated fleets. It is pointed out.' however, that hitherto money, and not guns, almost invariably have decided Chinese naval issues.

ANTI-FOREIGN PROPAGANDA BURIED UNDER COAL LONDON, March 18. Router’s Shanghai correspondent has received from a Chinese official source a written statement on the Chinese case for the seizure on February 28 of tho Russian steamer I’ami at Lenina, in which Madame Borudin and three Soviet couriers were travelling to Hankow. Madame Borodin is the wife of Michael Borodin, a Russian citizen, who has for some time been acting as adviser to tho Cantonese, or Southern Chinese regune. With the others, she has now been ordered to I’ekin for court-martial on a charge of espionage. Tho Chinese search party found buried under 150 tons of coal in the hold a. tremendous quantity of anti-foreign pro-: paganda and pamphlets, in Chinese, Rus; siari, and English. The statement continues :

“In some diplomatic bags in custody of the ‘diplomatic couriers,’ who were not travelling under diplomatic passports, were documents containing schemes for action in the Yangtse River valley' and in and around Shanghai, which, if carried out, would endanger other than, Chinese interests.” After remarking that the Chinese authorities refrain from saying more about these documents for fear of precipitating an international crisis, the statement proceeds: ■ _j “Besides the regular crew were’eleven Chinese compradors and ' over thirty coolies, who claimed to he deck-hands for handling cargoes. In river transportation in China there is no need for such hands, as all handling of cargo is dono by wharf coolies* and no ship carries more Ilian one comprador. Unless it is concluded that those compradors and coolies were there for the purpose, of handling a special kind of cargo, their presence in the ship is a, mystery. “ ‘Mrs. Grosberg’—Madame Borodin—reluctantly revealed her identity only when cards and mail bearing the name of Borodin were found among her possessions, which, unfortunately tor her, also included important. Soviet documents.” .