1938-11-25 — Page 2

REFUGEES

THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 25, 1938.

OUT

OF

CONTROL ON BORDER

Foreigner's Bid To

Bid To PUPPET MAYOR

Find Out Facts

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT)

OF SHANGHAI FIRED AT

Shanghai, To-day,

Mr. Fu Siao-en, who was recent-

ALTHOUGH JAPANESE TROOPS HAD REACHED YIMTIN (SHA- TAU) FOUR MILES EAST OF SHATAUKOK AT AN EARLY HOUR THIS MORNING, AT 2.30 O'CLOCK THIS AFTERNOON, THEYly installed Mayor of the Shanghai HAD NOT YET PUT IN AN APPEARANCE CLOSER TO THE BRI- TISH BORDER.

+

Special Municipalty narrowly miss-

ed death at 10 o'clock this morning at the hands of assassins at Kiang-

One unidentified member of his

According to Chinese refugees, who are surging over the border in thou-wan. sands, they have been held up by a stubborn counter-attack by the Chinese troops who had been retreating along the Mirs Bay beach suite was killed. road.

A foreign member of the staff of the Chinese Mari- time Customs station at Shatau, who brought subordinates safely to Shataukok at 9.15 this morning, Mr. Stranger, a Norwegian, this afternoon set out for Shatau having, courage- ously, decided to go back again to ascertain the true position.

BORDER NOT

CLOSED

THE BRITISH BORDER HAS NOT BEEN CLOSED TO REFU-

GEES, THE "CHINA MAIL He stated, before leaving, that tories, from the border right down WAS AUTHORITATIVELY IN- when he withdrew from Shatau, to Taipo on the one side and Castle FORMED THIS MORNING. the Japanese forces had already Peak on the other, are literally arrived and had established ma-black with refugees. chine-gun posts covering the vil- lage and the Customs station and were spraying, the beaches heavi- ly, though no Chinese troops were visible.

.

MACHINE GUN FIRE Subsequently, refugees flocking into Shatankok reported that the Japanese had been driven off by a counter-attack

this

Machine-gun fire was clearly au dible in the easterly breeze morning.

The border situation is complete- ly out of control.

Refugees are swarming over in thousands.

THOUSANDS FLEEING

I estimate that between 10,000 and 15,000 passed over in less than an hour at one particular point, and the same rush is observable at every point.

Chinese Police and Japanese gen- darmes claim to have seized one of the Chinese assailants.

.

The attack occurred at the on- trance of his official residence. His private home in the French Con- cession is heavily guarded by French Police.

It was later learned that the kill- ed member of his. suite has been identified as Sergeant Tokutani, a Japanese gendarme. He was shot through the chest. Fu was hurt.

not

One of the assailants was killed The Kam Tin Refugee Camp by Chinese bodyguards and Japan- Paddy fields are crowded by was yesterday filled beyond ca- ese gendarmes. — Reuter. others in flight in such numbers pacity and the Emergency Re-

fugee Relief Committee had no A Cable from St. John's Gate, that from a distance they appear alternative but to direct refugees London, announces the appointment like myriads of ants.

to the casino building at Shum-of Professor · Gerrard O.B.E., chun, which is now temporarily F.R.C.P., to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of the Hong Kong being used as refugee camp,

St. John Ambulance Brigade.

The "China Mail" also learns

Some of them have come from as far afield as Lungkong, and ac- cording to them, the Japanese ad- vancing on Pingwu from Tamshui have still some distance to cover officially that no reply has been re- before they reach Pingwu, and are ceived from Tokyo concerning the encountering resistance from ma request of the British authorities chine-gun posts concealed

in the for the establishment of safety hills west of Lungkong.

zones on the Chinese side of the border.

SEEKING HELP

At Shumchun, we found a Bur- mese ambulance detachment, un- der a Dr. Chin, which had come across the border from Shumchun, to seek assistance for numerous re- fugees who have fallen ill and are in dire distress. in Shumchun.

They are hoping to be able to make arrangements for their trans- port over the border.

The refugees have long ceased to pay any attention to the recognis ed posts for crossing the border. "They are climbing through barbed

POLICE EFFORTS wire, paddling through streams,

Being unable to stop the rush of driving cattle in front of them. refugees, the British authorities Straggling into Shataukok are have ceased to make any attempt numerous Chinese soldiers. As soon to stop them, but the police are en- as it was discovered, however, that deavouring to prevent them from

The H. K. river steamer, Kin- shan, is coming into harbour from Canton this afternoon, having been permitted to pass down river by the Japanese.

MOBILE UNIT MAKING DASH DOWN RAILWAY

Japanese motor-cycle combination squads, armed with heavy machine-guns are driving south- wards along the Canton-Kowloon Line, accord- ing to a message received by the "China Mail” this afternoon.

soldiers in uniform were being passing Shatin or Tsunwan, and Late last night they drove along the line from placed under arrest and placed in are trying to shepherd them into

a barbed wire concentration cen- the scores of villages in the Kam Lam

-

tre, other soldiers returned to Tin Valley, Starling Inlet, Shataukok, changed into civilian at-Ching Valley and elsewhere in the tire and crowded over the passes hope that they will be able to ob with the other refugees. ¿

tain some shelter until more per- manent arrangements can be made.

PLANES ABOUT

Cheungmuktau and engaged a handful of Chinese troops at Tongtauha who were forced. to withdraw down the line being outnumbered.

Several members of the. "Self-and the motor-cycle units are ex- No real estimate of the numbers Protection Guarda”, arrived at pected to reach Pingwu this after- of refugees passing the border to-Sheungshui from Tongtauha this noon before sunset.

Confusion and panic reigns in At 2 pm., I saw a huge low-day is possible, but competent au- morning and stated that the motor- winged monoplane, looking like thorities state that the total cannot cycle units are driving further the villages around Shumchun in bomber, awooping down low

over be less than 100,000 and may be down to attack Pingwu from no bomba were in excess of 200,000. Shumchun, but dropped:

Japanese planes have been obser- ved on several occasions to-day.

swinging

B

to-

north.

and southwestern direction.

the

Chinese territory, children and pro- porty are being abandoned by those seeking to cross the border into the New Territories.

Another message states a Ja- panese detachment preceeded by several armoured cars, have, ap-

ANOTHER COLUMN

Tongtauha is only 20 miles north The plane came

Japanese •

troops also moving of the British border at Shumchun, wards the British border from southwards along the Canton- Shumchun, but as soon as the River Hongkong highway towards the was observed, it whipped away and Anglo-Chinese border.......... flew towards the east towards the

Using Tungkun, important city The British authorities in Hong-peared on the outskirts of Pingwu region of fighting."

on the East River captured five kong have been requested to co- from Lung Kong and are now hot- days ago, as their basis, the Japan- operate in order to prevent “un- ly engaged with the Chinese

soldiers. are moving in southeastern foreseen Incident.

ROADS BLACK

All the roads in the New Terri-se