1938-06-04 — Page 11

THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 4, 1938

GRUESOME JAP. REPRISALS "Horrible" Day Experienced At Nantung

SLOW PROGRESS GUNS RATTLING

OF FITNESS CAMPAIGN

A.R.P. Suggested As Reason

CONCERN AT PUBLIC

APATHY

The British Government is seri- ously concerned with the progress inaugurated 15 months ago. Dras- tic measures to accelerate and re- vitalise the programme are being urged from influential quarters as essential if the schem is to fulfil th original ideal.

of the National Fitness Campaign,

DROWN VICTIMS' CRIES

Gruesome accounts of reprisals taken against farmers by Japanese troops in Nantungchow fol- lowing an attack upon that city by Chinese guerillas have reached Shanghai with recent for- eign arrivals, says the "China Press."

}

ed, most of them in vain, to escape the withering fire.

COMPOUND OVERCROWDED

As the compound of the United

Christian Missionary Society was already overcrowded with some 300 after the Japanese occupation this city, it was impossible to ac

women and children immediately

of

se.

commodate any but, the most verely wounded. Others - were

According to these sources, a strong force of treated and sent home. Chinese guerillas attacked the famous pig-port north of the Yangtse River, ousting Japanese troops from the suburbs by the intensity of their sudden descent.

Their position, however, was

tary committees and sub-committees only temporarily secure, and No secret is made of the fact that set up under the bill to administer reinforced Japanese force, equipped the results so far have been far be- local schemes have found the task with superior armaments, recap- low expectations. There is a growing of organisation, without the estab- feeling in official quarters that the lished machinery of local govern-

tured the suburbs during a severe idea of physical fitness is not "catment, far more difficult than they skirmish. ching on" as was hoped. In many areas the attitude is still apathetic, even hostile.

expected.

Many local authorities have been frankly resentful of the acheme

MAY 3 "HORRIBLE”

Prior to the attack upon the city by.Chinese guerilla units, male re latives of the women and children

in the mission building sent ricé and other foodstuffs daily to the camp. Following the attack and ousting of the guerillas and the a subsequent reprisals against the farmers, most of these men were killed, and the women and children were faced with starvation.

OUTSIDE HELP ARRIVES

Abject starvation, however, was offset for a day or two by the wo- Part of the failure, it is suggest- since its inception. Their passive Tuesday, May 3, reports con-men themselves, who collected en- ed, is due to the growing pressure resistance has proved a big ob- tinue, was "horrible." Shooting be-ugh among themselves barely to of air raid precautions duties.stacle.

sustain them. Then came outside These have increasingly occupied

gan immediately outside the heart help. Rice by the bushel was don- the attention of local government grants over 1938 and 1939 expen-of Nantungchow. Wounded Chinese ated by private citizens and stores. authorities and the public and, tem-diture of about £150,000 had been civilians streaked for the only Recently, local groups have been porarily at any rate, stolen much recommended by the end of March. place in the city where they could take care of the wounded and ail-

able to send medical supplies of the voluntary effort required to Inevitably there is long delay in be assured of even a slight measure make the national fitness drive a setting schemes in action, due part-

success.

In a number of districts, includ- ing London, air raid schemes have had the effect of slowing down the national fitness campaign almost to a standstill so far as the public is concerned.

Of the £2,000,000 allotted for

ly to lack of experience on the of safety-the compound of the voluntary committees in the com-United Christian Mission. plicated questions of public expen- diture.

ing.

•

to

Wounded patients are being tak en care of well within the mission By May 5 the partisans had been compound. All are willing to help, There has been great difficulty in driven out of the city and out-fugees taking time out from their the women, children and other re- cquiring land for playing fields and the like at reasonable prices. skirts, and Japanese began retalia-own affairs — which is mostly look- ORGANISATION DIFFICULTIES | Every purchase near big cities has tory measures against farmers ting for a suitable location to spread Air raid schemes, however, do had to be made secretly; even so, the north of the city who were sus-sing the patients beside running a quilt-and are feeding and nur- not account for the shortcoming in it has not always been possible to pected of sheltering and feeding for water and attending to their other directions which are now prevent land speculators from se- causing some disquiet.. The volun- curing bargains.

the guerillas. Their little huts other requirements. were burned to the ground.

Americans Should Oppose Japanese Juggernaut

JAPAN'S AIM

Concrete action by the United 000,000 and British losses at States to protect its investment and double that amount. trade in China must in the final analysis originate from American businessmen in this country who are suffering staggering losses in the face of the onslaught of the Japanese military juggernaut, Mr. J. B. Powell, Editor and Publisher of the China Weekly Review, slated in a speech during the U.S. Foreign Trade dinner held at the American Club in Shanghai.

It is not necessary to explain, the veteran editor said, that Japan's goal is to root foreign business out of the fertile Chinese soil and to replace it with the enterprises of Nippon.

Mr. Powell and Dr. Y. Y. Tsu of St. John's University were the chief speakers of the occasion. Mr. Powell made a survey of the losses suffered by American businessmen in China.

ACTION NEEDED

He called upon the American businessmen in Shanghai and other parts of China to assert themselves in order to protect their interests by making their voices heard in

Washington,

Foreign investments in China, estimated to amount to about U.S. $3,500,000,000 have been reduced. at least by one-fourth or U.S. $800,- 000,000 since the beginning of the hostilities, he revealed.

American losses, he stated, have been estimated at $150,

"One wonders why we sit here so complacently while the Japanese military juggernaut moves over the land destroying our interests and businesses piecemeal. "If it is true that American it would seem to merit some action losses alone now total $150,000,000, on our part here. It is very obvious that we could have a very definite influence upon the course of events if we asserted ourselves here and inform our law-makers at home what is going on."

URGES MESSAGES In order to make the voice of American businessmen in China heard in Washington, local U. S. organisations must express their viewpoints by resolutions, cables and letters, he continued.

"We cannot expect our repre- sentative in Congress or admint- strative officials or even our chief executive to adopt intelligent. policies for our welfare unless we take the initiative and tell them what we want,” “he declared.

Machine-guns_were_set_up, their omonious rattling drown- ing out the plaintive cries of the peasants as they attempt-

According to later reports, con- ditions in this town' are more set- tled, but inmates of the camp are still reluctant to wander outside the comparative safety of the mis- sion compound.

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