BANDITS IN CHINA

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 119, 10 August 1927, Page 1

BANDITS IN CHINA

TOWNS LOOTED AND BURNED FLEEING NUNS PERISH By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright SHANGHAI, Monday. A sensational account of the terrible conditions ‘in Central China was given by al|roup of missionaries who arrived at Shanghai today. Most of the members of the party are Roman Catholic priests and sisters who came to China from the United States. The journey to Shanghai entailed a four months' arduous trek on mules and in sedan chairs through the wildest part of Central China. After they left the Kweichow province two of the sisters died from exhaustion. The missionaries told of indescribable devastation, of the ravages of Chinese soldiers and bandits, and of famine everywhere. Complete towns were burned by bandits. The inhabitants fled to various parts of the country and were starving. All the mission stations in the province were looted and burned. The travellers were held up by bandits and stripped of their valuables and belongings. They witnessed the looting of a mission at Senchow, in the province of Hunan, by Chinese students. The political bureau sold the mission property at auction in the streets. This was followed by the burning of the mission buildings and school. The refugees said mission work in the Kweichow province had been completely ruined.—A. and X