CHINESE AFFAIRS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 19 December 1927, Page 5

CHINESE AFFAIRS.

COMMUNIST OUTRAGES. POPULACE’S REACTION. Press Association-Electric Telei?raph--Copyr^gh'i. HONGKONG, Sunday. The latest, news from Canton shows that the populace’s reaction to Communist outrages is grimly complete. A number of Russians were marched manacled through the streets and publicly executed. The number of Reds killed exceeds two thousand. The streets arc littered with corpses. Throughout all districts there arc the strongest indications that China is rising against Russia in the searching of houses and arresting of Russians, irrespective of whether they<arc White or Red.—(Sydney “Sun.”) VENGEANCE METED OUT. SHANGHAI, Sunday. Details arc arriving from Canton showing how vengeance was meted out to the Soviet representatives following the retaking of the city. It is reliably reported that the Nationalist troops seized all the Russians connected with the Consulate, men and women, irrespective of position, numbers of these being executed immediately. The Con-sul-General and his family and staff were taken prisoner, but a report that they were executed has not been continued. A sad procession of Soviet soldiers marched the dusty streets roped together, and bearing placards stating the crimes they had committed in inviting the public to commit acts of violence. The result was that many of the prisoners were slashed with knives and otherwise injured and mutilated.

Several of the former Russian advisers to the Ivuomintang were among those executed, and the streets of Canton were littered with corpses of Communists and those who had revolted. Goods trucks loaded with bodies were moved to the country, testifying to the ruthless slaughter by the Government troops. Blocks of buildings were demolished by tire, including some of the Government offices. 'Carts piled high with bodies made a procession through the streets.. The Cantonese leaders denounce the Russian conspiracy as being responsible for the appalling scenes of devastation, and demand that the Russians shall bo driven out of the country. It is officially reported that thousands were killed in the retaking q£ the city, in which Chinese gunboats were prominent.