DETAILS OF THE CANTONESE
VICTORY.
INVADERS ROUTED ON ALL FRONTS.
"IRONSIDES " LOSE HEAVILY IN CASUALTIES
AND PRISONERS.
COUNTER-OFFENSIVE NEXT?
THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1929.
Reports from our Canton correspondent and from Canton papare confirm the decisive nature of the Ironside defeat. On all fronts the attacks were repulsed and the retreating forces badly cut up.
The Kwangtung aeroplanes and the use of far superior com- munications upon "funer lines played a decisive part in the Cantonces victory. General. Chen Tai Toag appears to have conducted the defence with very great skill and the carefully "Ironside " prepared lines of defence held good against the asanults.
This big vietery of the pro-Nouking party will probably have very extensive reactions al through China and will decide several waverers upon which side of the fence it is safer to come down..
Ho Chien of Hunan, who has pot played a very heroic role may, for instance, be expected to make good his protestations of loyalty to Nanking.
"CHEN TSAI TONG'S STEADY DEFENCE.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] | KWANGSI TROOPS BEATEN.
"CANTON, Dec. 12.
The menace from the "Ironsides" and the Kwangai troops, which loomed up formidably a couple of days ago, has definitely ended! The invaders, after a fierce strug- gle lasting for two days and two nights, have at last been drive hack towards Fa Yuen, Yuen Tan and Ching Tuen. Chang Fat Fui
CORRESPONDENCE.
THE RENT PROBLEM.
(TO THE EDITOR OF THE HONG LONG DAILY PRESS."]
*
HAICHING PIRACY,
THE GIRL WHO
SEVERAL DEAD BODIES
NOW IDENTIFIED.
NEWS OF THE WOUNDED.
As a result of very careful and painstaking investigation the Police have been able to identify no less than five of the dead bodies which were removed from the Halching on
the Mortuary, “ Sunday last
Among the dead bodies is that of Sum Chuen Shing, age 34, the manager of the South Coast Com
LEFT HOME.
DISCOVERY AT LOVER'S HOUSE.
ROMANCE THAT WENT AWRY,
11.
A Chinese, described as a fore-
charged before Mr. W. Schoäeld at man of a perfums factory, was
Kowloon Magistracy with receiving and harbouring a girl under the age of 21.
Mr. H. R. Butters of the Secre-
ed, and Mr. F. X. d'Almada, Sor.,
tarat for Chinese Affairs prosecut appeared for the defendant. whom anxious inquiries have been. W. Lo held a watching brief en made by his relations during the behalf of the parents of the girl, last few days.
Srn, In view of the bue and ery raised by certain members of the Chinese community against the formation of the Reat Problem Committee, may I crave the medium of your valuable space to make clear the end and sim which prompted some leading Chinese merchants to form that organist tion, so that the Europeans in this Colony, as well as the Hong Kongmercial Agency, Canton, about Government, may understand the core of the question at issue.
There are landlords and landlords in various shades and degrees. Admittedly, a few are landlords in the real sense of the word, but many others are sheer speculators, who hold properties by the grace of mortgages and loans from friends. Directly they come into possession of a house or group ci houses, like grim wolves they care for nothing else but to devour tenants for high rents in order
pay interest on the mortgages and, in addition, nake a profit for themselves. When- ever it is to their advantage to sell the property for the slightest gain. they have no scruple in so doing,
The kind of tenants that suffer most in the hands of these specula- On Tuckday night nearly 10,000 tive landlords are tea-houses, board command of Li Tsung Jen and siderable outlay of expense Kwangsi troops under the personal ing-houses, restaurants, cafes, and barber-shops. All these require con- in Wong Shin Hung harled themselves decoration, furnishing. etc., so as to make their shops as attractive against the electrified barbed wire entanglements along the north side as possible. In such lines of busi. “19። an imposing shop-front is of the West River between Samshui obviously an indispensable item:
hosts the Kwangtung troops. beat and Ching Yuen Aided by gun-and more often than not the exper
off the attack which ended in dis- aster for the assailants. The river is now reported to be full of float ing dend bodies,
started his offensive on the north And eastern fronts last Tuesday evening, but General Chen Tsai
In all these fights the aeroplanes Tong's lines held, and the invaders "were finally driven back with heavy played an important role, but it is tried to reported that six Canton planes losses. The "Ironsides " advance upon Canton from three were brought down by the anti
aircraft guas of the Ironsides directions, by Pei Na, by the Canton-lankow Railway, and by The "Ironsides" have four such Tai Wo Shi and Yan Wo Shi on
guns, all of which were captured The crack from the late General Chang Tso the castern sector. "Ironside Division under the com- Liniree years ago in Honaa.
There are
at least 8,000 mand of Ng Kei Wei undertook the
now
`attack of Sun Kai on the Railway wounded soldiers in Canton. Prae and, was to cater Canton from thetically every hospital in the city is some northern suburb. This division ad filled with casualties Add vanced from Kwan Tia at dead of thousands of prisoners have also night eo as to avoid the Canton been brought to the city. The Tai acroplanes. and
itself Ping Theatre on Tai Ping Road has hurled
1 "prison camp." against the defence lines at Lok been turned into Tung. The battle lasted all night and when the enemy ammunition gave out, hand grenades and bayonets were used. Much of the fighting was hand-to-hand, but by
· COUNTER-ATTACKS EXPECTED.
dawn the enemy was fually driven AN ADVANCE ON SHICHING.
were
also
several thousands to ten thousand diture in this regard runs up from dollars. So far as regards restaur. ants and boarding-houses, the cost for furnishing alone may safely be put down at between several tens of thousands to a hundred thousand dolinrs.
1 is a matter of common ocenr rence that no sooner have the shops been done up for business than the tenants receive notice of a rise in rent. Just imagine the predicament of the shopkeepers in these cireum- Nor is this all. Some stances. brafty and heartless speculators make it their business to inquire. into the doings of the shopkeepers in the different busy localities. As soon as an opportunity offers itself, they will require properties in those centres. This being done, the land- lords extort higher rents from the tenants, or as an alternative, in duce the tenants to lay the proper" ties from them. If this request is not complied with, the tenants will before long be served with the usual notice to quit.
Now, coming to the question of moperties under lease, it is only natural that landlords cannot raise rent within the specified period of the lease, but they can extort
shor-money,"
boirs, patr
or
"gratuity in devious ways If this is frowned at, there will be no chance for the tenants to renew the lense when it expires.
|
The names of the others who were identified are as follows:-
Tsoi Kei Ke (age 30) a passenger. His cousin was a fellow- passenger. од the ill-fated
boat
Yeung Kai Sang (33) a passenger, who was identified by his re- latives yesterday. Mrs. Ching Chu Se (34) a pas
senger
Miss Ching Chung (11) who was travelling with her aunt. Mrs. Ching Chu Se..
Outlining the ease, Mr. Butters said that the girl was sixteen years of age and lived with her parents at No. 23, Pine Street, ground floor. In September last she went to work at the Tuk Pong Perfume Factory, Taikektsui, where the de- fendant was a foreman. The girl's father decided to take her away after she had been working for 10 days and told her she was not to work. On October 3, the 80 to girl was missed and did not return home. A report was made to 3longkok Police Station and on found October 26, the girl wa living with the defendant. at 1,88, Sai Yeung Choi Stice There was no suggestion that the girl was not
willing parts and she had deli berately Routed her parents,
The Injured." Inquiries last night showed that there have been no further deaths at the Hospital. Yesterday, Ching Ngau, a stoker in the Haiching was The father in evidence said that discharged from the hospital, he stopped his daughter from work- There are at present sixteening at the factory "because there were only a few girls, and a large Passengers and four members of the crew in the Government Civil number of men working together." Hospital. Of these, Mr. Perry,
His daughter disappeared on Octa- the Indian Guard and fourteen
ber'3, and with the help of a friend others are progressing well. The he found her at the defendant's remaining three are in a serious house on October 20. condition and the latest informa-
tion is to the effect that they are not expected to live.
Mr, d'Almada, in cross-examining witness, suggested that the girl had been turned out of the house because she had refused to leave the factory.
Witness" denied this.
One of the three is a boy of four- wounds, one in the chest and aa- teen, who is suffering from two other in the thigh. It is related-of
The girl it evidence" said that him, that in spite of this injuries she went to the defendant's house he kept very quiet when rescued at night, after working at the and did not so much as utter a factory. He had deceived her, tell to attend to all the other wounded and that he was not married; but gran, allowing the rescuing partying her that his parents were dead before attracting their attention to when she went to his house she found that he had both a mother himself.
and a wife. Defendant induced her to leave her parents without. telling them. On arriving at defen- dant's house she was not allowed to leave.
At the Police Station.
Only about a dezen men are now being detained in Police custody, the authorities having by now boil- ed down the number of suspects. It is learned that further identifica- t.on parades will have to be held in connection with those detained and it will probably be some days before any, formal charge will be brought
against any of them.
All the injured in the hospital are now classed as either passenger or erew, there being none under the heading of suspects."
Chamber's Congratulations to Officers.
..
At a meeting of the Shipping Sub-Committee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce held on Wednesday evening, the follow- ing resolution was unanimously carried:-
That the Shipping Sub-Commit tee of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce requests that there he entered in the Minutes an expression of its deep regret at the loss of life and the extensive damage sustained in the piracy of the .. Haiching on Sunday, December 8, 1929, and expresses its admiration of the gallant defence made by the personnel of the ship.
back. When reinforcements swept
According to the vernacular Prees, The Chinese estate-agents are acrces from Chung Fa the Iran-
equally as rapacious; and never for troops Division side"
the Kwangtung-Nanking was practically
a moment have any consideration annihilated.
Over 2,000 prisoners having routed the "Ironsides" and for tenants. Neither have they the were taken and over 7,000 Iron- the Kwangsi troops on all fronts remotest idea of exorbitant rentals, so long as they are able to obtain sides" were killed near Kwan Tin, are now ready to launch counter-
a lease from the landlord with the the three sectors.highest bid and suflet to others for and some 4,600 rifles and a large offensives on
worn out and a profit. In busy centres fike. Wing quantities of supplies were taken. The invaders are
On Street and Bonham Strand, The survivors retreated in confu- their ammunition is exhausted..
where the premises are occupied by sion towards Chung Fa. The num- The gunboats have been instruet-piece-goods dealers and Nam Pak lier of Cantonese losses were fard to co-operate with the troops on long merchants, respectively, the jess serious than those of the West River to capture Shiu.rents demanded are far too dispro-
tho
portionate and more than trade can hing and on. the Canton-Hankow enemy.
bear. In former years, shop spaco (TO THE EDITOR OF THE "HONG KONG
DAILY PRESS."] Railway troops are now advancing in Wing On Street would only fetch THE EASTERN FRONT. northward from Kwan Tin for a a few thousand dollars, whereas
Important successes
counter-attack on the "Ironsides. nowadays the price has soared as
high as from 840,000 to $80,000, gained on the eastern front when On the east sector, the "Ironsides" the Irucsides," after
coming are retreating with the Kwangtung almost within sight of Canton, troops in hot pursuit, were driven back to Tai Wo Shi. This advance was at first quite suc cessful, gaining place after place. The 50th Nanking Division under Tan Tao Yuen tried to hold the invaders but whs almost anaibi- lated and the arms and ammuni- tion of the division were captured by the enemy. The Nanking troops were at a particular disadvantage. when fighting in mountainous coun- try. The "Ironsides" are largely
SAFETY OF BRITONS.
ASSURANCES FROM MR.
HENDERSON,
[DRITISH WIRELESS GERVICE]
After she had been there for Rome time she found out that defendant and his mother were conspiring to sell her to Shekhung (Chinese district) and had her father not found her in time she
would have been sold.
Mr. d'Almada put it to the giri that she had a quarrel with her parents and left home. She replied that the defendnat enticed her, by offering her a gold finger ring.
Mr. d'Almada also put it to wit- nees that when she was taken to the Police Station, her mother sent her food which she had refused. Witness replied that defendant threatened that he would stab her if she touched the food. He had also told her to disown her parents. Witness ended up by eaying that her father had treated her very well and that the defendant had led her astray.
The hearing was adjourned until December 27.
"WHERE. THERE'S WOMEN THERE'S TROUBLE!"
TEN LITTLE LADIES AT THE POLICE COURT,
In the usual course of routine at the Police Courts, large numbers of defendants up for petty offences are brought before the Magistrate, one after the other, with military Frecision, and their cases are dealt in a very short time.
However, yesterday morning when seven Chinese women were sum- On the moned for trespassing Government Plantation at Hatton Road, sad confusion resulted. When the Court interpreter called out their names they were slow to answer and apparently no-one wish ed to be the first to be presented to his Worship, Finally when they were arranged in correct order they became shy about their ages!
All the while the Magistrate nat patiently waiting to hear the case, and after the confusion had settled down he remarked that it would save a lot of time if, in future, women of that type were sorted" outside the Court,
Sta-The writer's final retort to "Common Sense" on the issue of As regards shop space on Bonham Rent Reduction is, if there be one Strand, at one time the value of view of this question that stimu property ranged between $20,000 to lates supporters to harder work 830,000, whereas the price is now
than another, it is to adduce ample more than trebled. In face of such evidence to expose all the mal- inflated value, if some of the practices of the speculative land- speculative landlords do not raise lords. Trade depression and up- rents in these two localities, bow ply and demand seem to help can they find sufficient means to Common Sense" and his coterie mert the interest on mortgages? te cover a multitude of sins. The The pity is that the business of fact remains that the public is not these merchants does not increase to be hoodwinked with verbal "Common Sense docs to the extent of coping with the jugglery. continual rise in rent. The upahot not have to worry that the Rent of the whole disrupted state of Problem Committee will fail to Rucar, Dec. 10.
affairs is that so long as these wildbring to light the dark and devious speculators in properties are in our ways of evading the assessor's rate, Answering a question in Parlin midst, there will be no pense in the notwithstanding all the hard and fast rules laid down by the Govern- ment, the Foreign Secretary, Mr.husiness circles of Hong Kong, re-
ment. Granted that emphasis is Henderson, said that he had no gardless of wholesale or retail trade,
The tense situation urgently laid on whether rent is paid by the nows of any recent fighting in the calls for an exhaustive inquiry to lunar or solar month," can "Com- The Nanking troops were Canton area, but on December 8. probe to the root of the problem, mon Sense asy for Chinese land- wearing leather shoes or cloth National Government troops, who and the formation of the Rent lords that one and all abide by this
step in the right direction and con- Problem Committee is, therefore, a ruling without evasion!
"Common Sense" would have us Sighs of relief were heard when, stitutes a helpful factor to eradicate believe again and again that the all seven ladies agreed to plead a festering evil in Hong Kong. Of rent of a house is dependent on the guilty and the Magistrate imposed course, those bona fide landlords number of people desiring that faes of 85 each, or 10 days' hard who invest in properties for a house," and will not admit that labour, legitimate return of 0 to 7 per cent.
wild speculation on properties and of their money do not and will not profiteering in many instances have
"trouble their aivu
tenants. set up rentals to the detriment of Neither will they incur any odium shopkeepers. Exact figures on this in the eyes of the public. But it phase of the question will also be property he used as n speculative set down and, brought to the notice commodity for the benefit of a few of the Government in due course. to the hurt of the many, the Com Yours, etc. mittee will leave no stone unturned THE SUPPORTERS OF THE to seek redress-- Yours etc.
RENT PROBLEM 'FAIRNESS.
COMMITTEE Hong Kong, December 12
Cantonese and are used to hill war- fare.
shoes which were both awkward had been occupying the defence and clumsy as compared with the hne some 30 miles from the city, light straw sandals of the Can-
were reported to be falling back. tones" Ironsides." The Nanking
Canton was reported quiet on troops fell back, and Canton was
that date, with no signs of local nearly captured. It was only after
dieruption. the arrival of Kwangtung troops
There are five warshipa on the under Tso Ting Kai and Chiang West River Patral, three of which Kwang No that defeat was turned.
are at Carion, the remainder being into victory. It is reported that of.
disposed of in accordance with the the ave u six thousand Ironsituation. Arrangements have been sides" on the eastern sector, only made to provide military reinforce about ma half got away the rest being either TESTUPN
sitate, such action..
action.
#kecember
(Continued on next Column).
More of Them!! Another muddle was anticipated when three more "women were charged with the same offence, having been found on another part Fortunately of the plantation.
they "sorted" themselves out, but the youngest of the three was also shy about her age. Finally she gave in and the case proceeded.
The two older women were dis- changed Shuttlungsgeskvann funda.
LANE,
CRAWFORD
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