News Chronicle
17 JAN 1948
N. Chronicle.
Riot-and-fire flight from Canton today
NEWS CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENTS
ABOUT 100 British women and children are to be flown out of Canton
as a result of anti-British rioting there yesterday. Hundreds of miles to the north British missionaries and others are preparing to evacuate by air an area north of Hankow in the face of oncoming Communist armies. In the Canton rioting-the biggest demonstration against foreigners since the Boxer rebellion of 1900-the British Consulate and business houses were destroyed by fire.
All British families there are being given shelter in homes attached to other con-
sulates while they wait for
the rescue planes.
The first plane will leave Can- ton today and take them to Hong Kong.
Eviction protest
The rioting began as a demon- stration by students in protest against the eviction of Chinese squatters in Kowloon (Crown terri tory on the peninsula opposite Hong Kong). The Chinese were being moved for health reasons.
Soon mobs were chanting outside the Consulate. Their numbers grew until they totalled several thou- sand, and then they stormed the building, smashing furniture and setting it alight.
Uniformed members of a Nation- alist organisation, the San Min Chui Youth Corps. led the orgy of destruction and prevented the fire- men from dealing with the flames in time.
Mr. Ronald Hall, the Consul- General, and members of his staff were escorted out by police before the attack developed. Mr. J. L. Murray (Press Attaché), his wife and the Consul's secretary, Barbara Rolfe, ran later to the home of the U.S. Naval Attaché. Mr. Murray and five other Britons were in- jured.
Anti-British slogans
Later, mobs of angry Chinese roamed the streets. shouting anti- British slogans. There are fears that the growing hostility will spread to other cities.
The Chinese Premier called a meeting of Government officials at Nanking and warned all authorities by telegram to repress rioting and to protect the property of Britons. Shanghai students have called a two-day strike because of the Kow- loon evictions. A demand that Hong Kong and Kowloon be re- stored by force is being made by students of Tientsin.
The impending evacuation of missionaries and others from north of Hankow follows the murder of four missionaries. It tends to con- firm Communist claims to have domination over provinces between the Yangtse and Yellow Rivers.
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