CHINESE TURMOIL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16339, 13 May 1927, Page 10

CHINESE TURMOIL

CANTON PROPAGANDA LEAFLETS FOR TROOPS SHANGHAI, March 24. With the arrival of the Cantonese Army in Shanghai the propaganda- attack' on our lines has commenced in earnest, in place of the bullets of two days ago. The following examples of the literature distributed in thousands amongst our troops may serve a usciul purpose !by removing the remaining illusions of altruists at home, who be lieve that only Chinese national aspirations are involved in the issue.

These phamphlcts are chiefly distributed 'by Chinese women, and in some cases by Russian girls. All this literature comes direct from the Propaganda Bureau at present established at Hankow.

1. “Say, Tommy, if the Hotel Astor is good enough for the Imperial brass hats, not- forgetting the brass faces accompanying them, how about better accommodation, wages, food, etc., for the ordinary privates, who have to do all the donkey work and risk all the. dangers?” 2. “Cheerio, Tommy, never mind the regimental sky-pilot when he says it s better to give than to receive. What about the football gear, etc., you were promised? lsn t if time the fat men ot the Shanghai Club, the local hard-faced capitalist patriots, and the gushing dames of the British Women’s Association kept, their promises and produced the goods?” 3. “Hello, Tommy, why should you be floundering round in the mud ot Jessfield Park for half the wages of the American fighting forces? You are out in the front trenches, suffering every discomfort, He sits cushy behind the lines, runs no risks, and with his extra pay enjoys himself better than you do. He. neither begs st batli nor accepts a hand-out from any Bubbling Well backdoor. Pull yourself together, Tommy. Neitiie be a bonehcad nor a scab. Demand at least the same conditions as your American fighting brother.” There follows another pamphlet, giving statistics on the cost of the Royal family, the unequal distribution of wealth and property in England, and innumerable figures on unemployment, etc. Unfortunately for the Cantonese propagandists this literature is absolutely wasted, for it- docs not take account cif the psychology of our troops.

CHINESE NAVY

WHERE IS IT?

THING-TOC, March 19

Where is the Chinese Navy? I can write from personal knowledge of the whereabouts of a. section (a large section) of the navy—three cruisers. ihc lest of the fleet is somewhere south. 1 have just visited two of their cruisers ; they are tied up at a. wharf at Tsmg-tou, up north. On one of them I was received with charming hospitality in filthy quarters by a bright young Admiral. in the Chinese Navy, up north, there is one Admiral per ship, and he acts independently of any other Admiral. My naval host was formerly a “literary” gent with military tastes. His friend, Marshal Chang-Tso-lm, did not quite fancy him as a General, so he made him* an Admiral, knowing well enough that there was never any likelihood of the warship going to sea. For three months the cruiser had been without pay or coal, and there were no funds in sight. When my friend the Admiral took over command lie got busy. He put it politely to the good citizens that unless they raised funds for coal and pay he might not be able to prevent his crow from steaming out to sea and bombarding tlie town. The good citizens were not, impressed; neither did they pay. They knew well enough that the ship could not move, and that if she did the gunners, mostly agriculturists, could not work the guns. The second ship’s story is much the same. The third cruiser is at Port Arthur, where she was overhauled by a Japanese dock company about two years ago. The Admiral was unable to pay the bill, so the Japanese held lier in pawn. .She is still in pawn, and requires overhauling again.—Sun correspondent.

£4OOO COMPENSATION CHEQUE DISHONORED AMERICANS CONDEMN COOLIDGE GOVERNMENT SHANGHAI, April 26. “ The hitherto incredible report, from Washington that America intended to withdraw from the other Powers in thenattempts to exact reparations for the Nanking outrages is now fully confirmed,” says Mr. Rodney Gilbert, the Pekin correspondent of the North China Daily News.

Mr. Gilbert, who is an American, and author of “ What’s Wrong With China?” suggests that the natural result may bo a renewal of the AngloJapaneso entente. ” It is no secret,’’ be adds, “ that Mr. Kellogg’s statement that America will not participate in any punitive measures really understates the American withdrawal policy. The ,cntiro American official and commercial community is disgusted and discouraged beyond expression. ” A responsible authority speaking on bclialf of tlio legation, says that the State Department has abominably treated American officialdom in China, whoso consular and diplomatic reports have already furnished more than enough material "to sway public opinion had the Government cared to face the conditions and honestly give out information instead of suppressing facts and publicly denying knowledge of them, smugly pretending it was only trying to follow public opinion. “ THE LAST STRAW.” “ The Pelda is also despondent about the tone of the American press, which, owing to Washington’s lack of guidance and suppression Of facts, lightly treats insults to the American Hag, assaults upon Consuls, the murder of citizens, and outrages upon women, and yet continues to see a hopeful uplift movement in the Nationalist enterprise. “ The local American community is convinced 1 that such indifference can indicate nothing but national decadence, the result of too much prosperity. It is reported from Pekin that the cheque for £4OOO. handed over by the

Cantonese authorities as compensation for the damage done in the British concession at Kiukiang has been dishonored.

Mr. Gilbert, gives the news that the startling feature of the documentary haul made in the raid on the. Soviet Legation was the numerous documents and translated codec! telegrams stolen from the British Legation. Chang Tso-lin’s firm action crippled

“ Red ’’ activities Sri North China, allowing foreigners who months ago had been preparing to leave the country to continue to live in Pekin.

DOUBLE SURPRISE MORAL AFFECT OF DEFEATS IS TREMENDOUS LONDON, April 11. All reports from China to-day agreed that the Cantonese armies, which recently captured strategic points from the Northern forces, now havesuffered reverses and are in retreat in some places. One despatch to the Exchange Telegraph says that the Cantonese have evacuated Chmkiang, on the southern bank of the Yangtse river, 42 miles east of Nanking, and are in disorderly rcJ treat in the direction of Shanghai, making it necessary to take further steps for the protection of foreigners in the international settlement of the latter* city. The Cantonese captured Ohinkiang tho time they forced the Northerners! out of Nanking. BOTH SIDES RECEIVED SHOCK.

The reports are conflicting and seem to show that little is actually known. One of tho more sensational reports tells of an advance by 100,000 Northern troops and of casualties among tha Cantonese (southern) Nationalists, adding that remnants of the Cantonesa forces are fleeing in panic. Other reports are much milder and all are qualified by uncertain language. (The Daily Mail version, sent by Sir l'ercival Phillips, is that one division of Cantonese, moving northward, found itself hemmed in on. three sides by Northern forces, which were supposed to bo miles away. This, lie adds, may well have been an accident, and experts are wondering which had tile greater shock —the Northerners, finding their pursuers so close, or the Cantonese, when they walked into what seemed a trap. When the Cantonese began to retire hastily, lie says, the Northerners naturally moved after them, and it became a race for the Yangtse, with the Cantonese easily first. Meanwhile, another Cantonese column, moving along the railway from Pukow, was involved in similar trouble. The Northerners who fled from Nanking, resumed hostilities so aggressively that, Sir Pereival reports, the Cantonese hastily abandoned the two towns, and now arc understood to be arriving at Pukow, thoroughly shaken and bewildered. Judged by western standards, the double defeat of the Cantonese should not be a serious blow, the correspondent writes, but. the effect may bo crushing, as the Cantonese bad come to regard themeslevs as supermen, able to surmount every obstacle, and the incident may have a far-reaching, effect and prove a first-class disaster. BRITISH NUNS SAVED UNDER FIRE GALLANT RESCUES BY VISCOUNT GORT UNARMED DASH SHANGHAI, March 22. Major-General Duncan, to-night received an appeal from Mr Barton, the British Consul-General, to rescue tho nuns and orphans at the Institute of the Holy Family, in the northern district of Paoshan, which is a British institution under the direction of a. British mother-superior.

He considered that it was hot desirable to send British troops into Chinese territory if this could be avoided, and decided to attempt the evacuation by diplomatic means. . Mr Barton, accompanied by Viscount (fort, V.C., Chief of Staff, and a French Jesuit Father, who speaks Chinese, went in a motor car to the northern border of the settlement and received safe conduct passes from the Nationalists in the neighbourhood of the convent. The Jesuit priest went on ahead but was wounded and returned. Thereupon Mr Barton and Viscount Gort, unarmed, with no other protection than two Red Cross men, proceeded in (lie direction of (lie convent. They had covered about half the distance whefi they ran into a detachment of bellicose Cantonese soldiers led by an officer, who promptly arrested Viscount Gort, who wore his red staff hat and tabs, and threatened Mr Barton.

Finally, after some parleying, they allowed them to proceed to the convent on the understanding that they ,would return at once. This they did, and supervised the complete evacuation. Thunks to the courageous action in the face of indiscriminate) rifle and macliinc-gun fire in the streets and from rooftops in the neighbourhood of the institute, between 20 and 30 Catholic nuns and from 300 t» 400 orphans, who' have endured a terrible ordeal for three days, under shell arid rifle fire and threatened by bandits, are to-night sleeping safely in their beds inside the settlement. OFFICER’S ESCAPE.

Another British officer who had a narrow escape this evening was Colonel Htywood, Chief of (ho Intelligence Staff, who, with Myjor A. 11. Hilton Johnson, a commtssioncr-genfcfal representing the municipal council, ventured out. at great personal risk from the settlement to the Chinese City in the. hope of establishing contact with the new authorities, and to examine the possibility of avoiding future conflicts with the Cantonese troops. They went into the Chinese city and had a conference with the new Chinese Commander-in-Chief. On their return they were faced liy a mol) of students and agitators, who were holding a riotous mass meeting on the recreation grounds. Their motor car was stopped and surrounded. Colonel Heywood and Major Johnston were searched and threatened. Finally, after the leading executioner had been called' to the spot, they were allowed to return to the settlement.