RETREATING ANTI-REDS REACH SHANGHAI.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18085, 19 February 1927, Page 1

RETREATING ANTI-REDS REACH SHANGHAI.

VICTORIOUS SOUTHERNERS PUSH ON, DRIVING NORTHERN ARMY BEFORE THEM. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assn. (Received February 19, 11.30 a.m.) SHANGHAI, February 18. The retreat of a large portion of Sun Chuan-fang’s army into Kiang-su continues. Four thousand of the retreating army arrived at Shanghai and at present are at the main railway station, which is on the border of the International Settlement. Also streams of refugees are arriving from several miles north-eastward of Hang-chow, within which area it is estimated that there must still be 30,000 of Sun’s troops. The railway line is completely blocked, and there is still no telegraphic communication with Hang-chow, so it is impossible to confirm, or deny, the Nationalist statements to the effect that the city was looted and partially burned by the northerners before they left. Ning-po has been captured by the southerners. Sun’s troops from that town, who evacuated by sea, have arrived at Shanghai.

LONDON SENDS NEW ORDERS TO CHINA LEGATION.

INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN FOR RESUMPTION OF NEGOTIATIONS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received February 19, 11.30 am ) LONDON, February 18. Cabinet has sent Sir Miles Lampson instructions for communication with Mr O. St. C. O’Malley, laying down the lines on which negotiations with Mr Chen can be continued. It is pointed out that Sir Austen Chamberlain announced last week his readiness to authorise the signing of the Agreement. It therefore is hoped that since Mr Chen was also agreeable to sign, all obstacles would be eliminated. It is hoped that if the Agreement is signed it may be the beginning of a general settlement.

CABINET NOT ALARMED OVER RECENT EVENTS.

SHANGHAI PEOPLE NOT LIKELY TO BE MOLESTED By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received February 19, noon.) LONDON, February 18. Cabinet held a further special meeting to discuss the China situation today, and members are holding themselves in readiness for further meetings during the week-end. Nevertheless, official circles do not countenance the suggestion that the frequency of the meetings indicates any alarm for British people in Shanghai, in view of the rapid development of the military situation. It is admitted that the advance of the Cantonese forces until Shanghai falls into their hands cannot exactly be welcomed. It seems that bitter anti-British sentiment, thanks to Russian gold and propaganda, is stronger in the Cantonese than in any other Chinese circles. At the same time, it is recognised that it would be in accord neither with Mr Chen’s past conduct nor with his interest in not antagonising other foreign Powers to allow anti-foreign sentiments to get out of hand. It is pointed out as a remarkable fact that during the whole period since the evacuation of Hankow there has not been a single case of outrage, robbery, or violence of any kind against a British national anywhere in China. ITence at present, while there is satisfaction that our troops are nearing Shanghai to be in readiness for eventualities, there is no suggestion that the present situation demands the despatch of further forces. The experience of Chinese Civil W ars the past few years has shown that cities have often fallen and been retaken without the harming or seriously inconveniencing foreign residents. Fighting in China is quite unlike the battles of the Great War. There are seldom serious bloody encounters. One or other force generally crumples up after a half-hearted sort of scrap. For these reasons well-informed people are not alarmed. They are convinced that Mr Chen’s forces would not be foolish enough to enter the international settlements at, Shanghai, where French, Japanese, and Americans without much . publicity are assembling forces to assist j in the defence alongside the British. The report that Mr O’Malley has j taken up his quarters upon the warship Bee at Hankow does not imply that there are disturbances. The move was made only for the sake of comfort. It is learned that new instructions sent to Sir Miles Lampson are a recommendation to complete the Hankow agreement suggesting that Mr Chen should leave aside larger matters like British recognition of the Cantonese Government till subsequent events show whether they are entitled to such status. The present official idea is to concentrate &n an agreement, small and concrete, on the Hankow problem, and hope that this will lead to a settlement of the larger questions later. “ CONSTANT DISORDER.” SYDNEY, February 10. A depressing picture, of Chinese conditions is painted by Miss Gladys

Cathie, a Sydney girl, who returned from China in the City of Sparta to-day. She says the country is practically “dons’’ from the white man's point of view. The Chinese are awakening to a sense of their own nationality. Miss Cathie, who left Australia last July, joined an English theatrical touring company, and played in Pekin, Tientsin. Harbin, Mukden, Hankow, Shanghai and Nu-tuong. She thinks that although the unrest is not universal, the most, important parts for the white man are the most, disturbed. “In the Pekin district,” she said, “the nominal Government maintains some sort of order, and in Tientsin the international troops are greatly respected. I saw the .Armistice Day ceremonies there, and the parades were most impressive. “In Harbin, Mukden, Hankow and Shanghai, however, there is constant disorder, and the foreign colonies, particularly the British, are diminishing. The company to which I was attached intended to play a week in Harbin, but when we got there we found only 25 Britishers as an audience . We played two days. “The Manchurian cities seem to be controlled largely by Russians and Japanese at present, and there are many signs of luxury and prosperity. Harbin lives up to its sobriquet of ‘the Paris of the East.’ “There is little respect for the white women among the Chinese mobs,” she said. “They are easily worked into a frenzy by agitators, mostly Russians and students, but they are as insulting to Russian women as to any other whites. One notices the decreasing respect for whites among such servants as rickshaw drivers, who are developing a tendency to carry white women to deserted side streets and rob them.” Miss Cathie travelled on trains packed with civil war troops. Portion of the line was blown up on one occasion aftei the passage of the train. On the Yang-tsc River she travelled on a boat armed with steel plates and sandbags. JACOB BORODIN, SOVIET MISCHIEF-MAKER, HAS SEVENTEEN ALIASES. Jacob Borodin, the Soviet representa>tive at Hankow, and for some time past a secret adviser of the Cantonese Government, is believed to be largely responsible for fanning the flame of hatred of the semicducated classes of < hina against the British residents. His real name is said to be Michael Gru sen berg, but he used the name of George Brown in Glasgow four years ago, when ha was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment prior to deportation. He ha£ masqueraded under 17 names and can speak many languages. He was a journalist before turning to Bolshevism. Born at Prague, he was educated at the best German colleges, and finished his studies at Harvard, United States. Before going to Glasgow he preached sedition in the Welsh coalfields for five weeks. His seditious activities have also embraced Spain and Mexico.