1931-02-06 — Page 9

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 192,

NEW ZEALAND'S GRIEF. COUP D'ETAT AT

HORRORS GRAPHICALLY DESCRIBED.

NAPIER TOWN A REEKING MASS OF RUINS.

RED CROSS ESTIMATED DEATH-ROLL.

(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY |

Wellington, February 5, The Prime Minister, Mr. Forbes, has requested that Sunday, February 8, be observed in all churches as a day of national mourning,

Further earthquake shocks this afternoon impeded the rescue work, which revealed numbers of crushed and mutilated bodies.

Occasionally the rescuers were rewarded by the release of some unfortunate victim imprisoned since the first dread shock.

For instance, late this afternoon, two women were rescued alive and two others were located alive but still trapped in the ruins,

The relief workers have appealed to the railway authorities to provide extra rolling-stock to accelerate the evacuation of the city.

RESOLUTE BEHAVIOUR OF INHABITANTS.

WELLINGTON, Feb. 4.

Mr. Weston, managing director

of Weston Brothers, Limited, of Christchurch, described the horror

of the collapse of the shop in Hant- inga, in which he had just complet- ed business..

"

[BNITIŠŻĄ WIRELESS BERVICE-] Wireless Telephone Message Lo London.

Ruany, Feb. 5.

CANTON.

DENIED BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY."

NANKING, Fob, 4, Government officials officially deny the reported coup d'etat in Canton on Monday.

Wong Shao Hung, the Kwangai leader, who is visiting Nanking, states that he is daily in, com- munication by wireless with his colleagues in Nanning, and nothing is mentioned about the reported coup d'etat. The report is prob- ably due to

a misunderstanding,

DOG RACING AT SHANGHAI.

WILL NOT BE PERMITTED AFTER MARCH.

....

(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

SHANGHAI, Feb. 6. After & considerable interchange of correspondenco on dog racing the Municipal Council to-day sent a letter to both greyhound concerus in the International Settlement,

The Council adheres to its deci- sion that dog racing in the Settlo mcht will not be permitted after March 31, 1931.

because when he left for Nanking SHANGHAI-CANTON-MANILA preparations were being made to

dise the Communist troops under Li Ming Suj,

PROVINCE AGAIN IN THROES OF CIVIL STRIFE.

FLIGHT.

NO NEWS OF PROGRESS.

[TEROVOU REUTER'S AGENCY.]

Foodnow, Feb. 5. Mr. Brophy hopped off to Canton en route to Manila to-day at 9.18.

BASIC WAGE IN AUSTRALIA.

SUSPENSION APPLICATION

DISMISSED.

THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

FLYING-BOAT 209 DISASTER.

WITNESSED BY THOUSANDS ON PLYMOUTH HOE.

[AITISH WIRELESS SERVICE]

HA

US. AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN.

VISITING HONG, KONG - AND

MANILA...

{THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

Rucoy, Feb. 4.

SHANGHAI, Feb. 8. MELBOURNE, Feb. 6.

Nino lives were lost in an air Mr. S. Cameron Forbes, U.S. The Arbitration Court dismissed the application by the Common disaster which occurred to-day Ambassador to Japan, is proceed- wealth Government for the auspen-when a large Iris flying-boat of No, ing to Hong Kong tomorrow on sion of the basic wage reduction, 200 Flying Bont Squadron, Mount board the Empress of Canada expressing the opinion that any Batten, sank in Batten Bay, Plyen route to Manila on a visit to

Governor-General Davis. project dealing with the present mouth Sound.

These killed include the pilot of It is noteworthy that Mr. Forbes" conditions must comprise, such re-

the

machine, Wing Commander grandfather, Mr. John Forbes, who duction.

Tucker, Flying Officer Wood, and went to Canton in 1834, founded sovan men, while two other officers the firm of Russell & Company, out- were injured, one of them seriously, of which ento, the China Mer One non-commissioned officer chants Steam Navigation Com alone escaped uninjured.

PRIME MINISTER TAKES A REST.

· REMAINING AT CHEQUERS FOR A LONG WEEK-END.

(BRITISH WIRELESS SERVICE.]

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

CANTON, Feb. 8. The peace movement in Kwangsi came to an abrupt end when Chang The New Zealand High Com-Fat Fai, leader of the "Ironsides," CHINESE RAILWAY BONDS, pled with his inability to take a

and Pei Chung Hsi Buddenly led their troops into the outskirts of Nanning and disarmed a portion of the troops under Colono! Wong Konk Chu, a trusted subordinate of General Wong Shao Hung.

missioner in London, Sir Thomas Wilford, this morning talked by wireless telephone to the Premier of New Zealand, Mr. G. W. Forbes, in Wellington, 12,000 miles distant.

"A young girl assistant rushed into my arms and I endeavoured to pacify her, remarking that it would all be over in second, but then a big crash came and a steel pillar fell across the girl's body, crushing her alongside the counter, The Premier stated that it in She pleaded to be released, but still impossible to give any definite the pillar held her like a vice. Ingures of the killed and injured a moment her life was gone.

in the earthquake, but in view of "I realised that I had escaped the anxioty which Sir Thomas death by inches, and managed to Wilford explained was felt by

rawl from the debris.

New Zealanders in England, the Premier said that an effort would be made to send the casualty list

Replying to

question whether any casualties occurred at Wangati, where the High Commissioner's mother resides in the South Island, the Premier said that all casualties were confined 10 Napier and the Hawkes Bay country..

"Everywhord werd' poor souls in panic, with terror-stricken appeals for help coming from every side,morrow, In what was once the boot depart- ment a man was scen desperately fighting for his life, but help was out of the question. In one corner fire broke out, but the appeal for buckots brought little response from the panic-stricken people. It was an appalling sight. The fire

Other messages from the cone of ezginos were pinned in their sta- the disaster say that the authorities tion and as the water main had have appealed for all available hurst little could be done, anyhow.”transport to help in the evacuation of the area, which is proceeding in Town of Hapier Wiped Off the

a rapid and orderly manner. Map.

Acroplanes have taken chlorina-

A despatch from Napier des- cribes it as a town wiped off the map, a recking mass of ruina, and not a single building standing in the centre of the city.

The streets were torn up indes- cribably, and Bluff Hill, Hospital Hill, and other heights behind the town crashed on buildings and the Bon-line receded. perhaps 100 feet from the Marine Parado. Buildings Crumble With Deafening Roar.

Residents say that the earth oromont was almost vertical, the ground subsiding with a sickening jolt.

A despatch from Hastings re- veals that at the time of the shock the town was full of shoppers, who were caught like rats in traps Buildings crumbled with a deafen. ing road, crushing both the staff The first thing a constable rush ing from the police station saw was a young girl sitting near the rond, with her legs severed below the knces.

and customars

Men, women and children were Ferreaming beneath the ruins, and although people who escaped tore frantically at the débris nothing could be done, as the victims were soon swallowed up by flames,

Doctors worked under most try in conditions.

Ona doctor was seen early in the morning, his coat bloodsoaked, hacking his way into a chemist's shop to secure supplies.

NAPIER, Feb. 4.

-

tion plants to Napier to provent infection through water.

QUESTIONS IN HOUSE OF

COMMONS.

(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

Heavy troop movement is once more going on in the interior of factions of the Kwangsi."Ironside" Kwangsi as the opposing sub coalition hava arraigned themselves Mr. A. M. Samuel asked if Mr. for battle. The Province is once more in the throes of civil strife. All hopes of peace and order are reported to have been shattered.

The populace, who have boen longing for peace for so long, aro again becoming apprehensive, and a feeling of uneasiness is sweeping over the Province.

ment for peace, is not known with

LONDON, Feb. 4. In the House of Commons to-day,

Arthur Henderson would ascertain from! the Chinese Government whether it had placed bonds of the Tientsin-Pukow and Hukuang Rail ways as a charge on the Maritime Customs, in accordance with its contracts to British subscribers to those railway loans, in view of the fact that there had been a revision of Chinese tariffs and the abolition of likin.

Thousands of people on Plymouth Hoe and along the waterfront wit

pazły..

nessed the accident, which occurred JAPANESE WOMEN'S

when the machine was about to nlight.

Reports state that the course was | altered to avoid a small, boat and the machine tilting its wing touch- ed the water.

Motor boats rushed to the seene and rescued the survivors before the machine sank with the other occupants trapped in the fuselage.

Ruany, Feb. 8. The Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, is to take a few days completo rest from his duties. His health is excellent, but pressure of work in connection with the Indian Conference and Parliament, cou-

holiday at Christmas, has made a few days' relaxation desirable. Ho

The flying-boat, which was of all. intended to fly to Lossiemouth, his metal construction, was one of the Scottish home, but the cold weather largest and fastest of its type and in that area caused the abandon-was equipped with three engines. ment of that, plan, and he will probably stay at Chequers for a long week-end,

LAW AND ORDER IN

INDIA.

GOVERNMENT REPLIES TO CONGRESS DEMAND.

(BRITISH WIDELESS BRDVICE.]

Ruany, Feb. 5..

It appeared that Pei Chung Hei

In response to the Indian Con- and Chang Fat Fui, two predomin- ant figures of the new reactionary Mr. Henderson replied that the gress Party's demand for the im mediate ending of Ordinances group, bad takes advantage of the proposals tabled by the Chinese whereby the subversion of law and absence of Wong Shuo Hung, representatives at the Nanking order is prevented, the Govern- leader of the pro-Nanking faction. Conference which opened in Novem ment of India conveyed an answer Whether or not Wong Shae Hung ber seemed to point to the dires which stated that the Ordinances had the approval of Pei Chung Hsition that Mr. Sammel desired.

and other “repressive" mcasures and Chang Fat Fui when he left The loans, however, could not he would be discontinued as soon as Kwangsi for Nanking a month or treated independently of the Chi- the necessity for them disappeared. BO ago in connection with his move nese Government's other obliga-The-Government, as well as the tions of the conference at which public, knew, it added, that police they were being considered.

Iathi charges caused misgiving, but, Replying ton supplementary they would not take place unless question, Mr. Henderson said that they were, deliberately provoked. he could not try to have an agree- of a serious nature in Kwangsi." ment reached before the third read- General Wong Shao Hung, prioring of the China Indemnity Bill. to bis departure for Nanking, was If the matter were raised in debate in a military sense by far the

he was prepared to reply. strongest man in Kwangai. Nearly two-thirds of the regular troops on Kwangsi were under his command, HONG KONG EXPORTS OF and he had a group of able and loyal subordinates in Wong Konk Chu, Liang Chu Ki and few others.

certainty. According to informs tion from a reliable military source, Although several shocks have been it, is highly improbable, that he did, experienood during to-day the resin view of the prescut disturbances cuo parties are continuing to work among the ruins. They are com posed of police, volunteers and naval ratings, and the injured have now practically all been removed from the district or are lying on board vessels outside the harbour.

Many tributes are paid to the calm and resolute behaviour of the inhabitants overcome by the sudden disaster.

There was oxtraordinarily little. panic and many note of heroism.

RUGBY, Feb. 4

The complete disorganisation of normal communications with the area of North Island, New Zen: land, devastated by yesterday's disatrous earthquake rendere it impossible to give a reliable enti

tate of the loss of life involved,

It will probably be some days be form the search for the missing among the debris of fallen build ings is completed, and, meanwhile, extravagant figures should be treat.

with reserve.

One of the immediate effects of the disaster was the breakdown of the sewerage system and the au- thorities, fearing an outbreak of disease, issued a general order to night decreving the evacuation of Napier within two days.

Governor General of New Zealand,

WAS

in

It is believed that Chang Fat Fai and Pei Chung, Hai, while staunch- ly opposing any agreement with Nanking, dared not oppose Wong Shao Hung while he Kwangsi, and they tacitly agreed to his peace proposal. Evidently they discarded their masks when Wong Shao Hung left for the North,

The Cantonese troops under Gen- erat Chen Tsai Tong in Wuchow and other parts of Kwangsi are anxiously watching this collapse of the Kwangsi-" Ironside" coalition. They are still maintaining their own positions, but it is highly probable that they will be forced to fight on the side of General Wong Shao Hung's faction.

L

OPIUM.

DAME LYALL DISPUTES GOVERNMENT'S FIGURES.

(THROUGH NEUTER'S AGENCY,]

GENEVA, Feb. 4.

BRITISH, REGISTER OF ELECTORS.

INCREASE OF OVER HALF A MILLION.

[DRITISH WIRELESS SERVICE.]

RuGuy, Feb. 5. The new register of electors for Great Britain and Northern Ireland shows an increase of 684,710 .com. pared with the register on which The Opium Committee has pass-the general election of 1929 was ed a resolution to the effect that fought. dilated drugs shall be considered as falling within the provisions of the Geneva.Opium Convention, whatever the degree of concentra tion.

It had a speed at sea level of 121 miles an hour, a cruising speed of 100 miles, and a landing speed of 50 miles.

Not Das to Fallure in the Craft. Ruanr, Fch, B.

It as believed that yesterday's disaster to the flying-boat at Ply mouth was not caused by any

failure in the craft.

EMANCIPATION.

BILL TO GRANT EQUAL FRANCHISE RIGHTS.

[THLOUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

TOKYO, Feb. 4. The rapid advance made by the women's emancipation movement in Japan in recent years is shown by the Government's introduction of a Bill proposing to grant women equal franchise rights with mon in elections for city, town and village autonomous assemblies pre- liminarily to granting national sufi frage.

A similar Bill introduced by pri-

Flying-boats of the typo involved have given a splendid record fofyate members last session passed service and have flown many thou the Lower House, but was shelved sands of miles without accident, including last year's fine, flights to by the Peers. India, Lisbon and Iceland.

[ROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]

LONDON, Feb. 4. Of the 12 men aboard nine were killed, including Flying Officers Tucker and Wood..

It is generally believed that the Government Bill presented this morning will share the same fate, but the growing interest in the question appears to indicate that women will be given at least a limited share in the governace of the country before long.

The question: affects

Mistaken Water Level. Divers in Plymouth, Sound aro searching for the bodies of the 13,000,000 women. crew of the flying boat, which, was a type of aircraft comprising sleep- ing quarters, cookery facilities, emergency wireless, and carrying A She is now collapsible dinghy. lying with her floats in the air and her cabin submerged.

The disaster is believed to be due to the pilot mistaking the level of the water owing to the reflection of the bright sunshine. She struck the sea too soon and the craft sank with Wing-Commander Tucker and seven men trapped in the cabin.

Four others were rescued, includ ing Flying Otheer Wood, who died in hospital.

Flying-Boat, Located. Divers have located the crashed

•

The total exceeds 29,500,000 Parfying-boat, which was broken in

hait. liamentary electors, and there-aro The bodies of WC. Tucker and 1,700.000 more women than men

Air Craftsman Rutledge have been, entitled to vote.

recovered,

They also passed a resolution, that. the League Council should urge the Governments to refuse HOUSE OF COMMONS ALL import or expert certificates to notorious traffickers.

Dame Lyall (Chairman) disputed the figures of, the weight of opium imported in 1928 from Hong Kong to India, but Sir Malcolm Dele- vingne retorted that the Hong Kong. Government was not in the habit of giving wrong figures.

Dame Lyall drew attention to the excessive, consumption of drags in Kwantung.

Baron Sato Japan) recognised that the situation was unantisine

provement.

(Wah Ter Yat Pao.)

NANKING, Feb. 5. In spite of successive reporta A telegram recived this morn- ing by the Secretary for the Domin-pointing to the renewal of hostile action by the Kwangsi rebels 100s, nor der. Thomas, from the against the Central Government, Those killed include at least Lord Bledisloe, expressing appre- the Kwangsi delegate, Wu Ting sevan nurses and probably 40 atud- ciation our behalf of the Govern Yang, now in Nanking, made an ents at the Technical School, when mont and people of New Zeauandofficial statement yesterday story, and promised to seek im the building collapsed,

for the British Government's mess The Dean of Brocklehurst was age of sympathy, states that com conducting a Communion Service plete information is not yet pro in St. John's Cathedral when the curable, but already it is evident. tuilding crumbled and buried the that the full boverity of the shock worshippers.

was felt at Napier and Hastings where many large buildings wol- lapsed.

A..

The Dean was gravely injured. British Marines Take Charge.. LATER. It is still impossible to estimate the death-rell, but the condition of several hundreds among over 1,000 receiving attention is reported to he critical or serious, re

90

NIGHT. SITTING.

AGRICULTURAL LAND.

UTILISATION BILL

[BRITISH WIRELESS SERVICE]

Buony, Feb. 5 The House of Commons spent an all night sitting on the Agricultural Land Utilisation Bill.

The House rase shortly after eight this morning..

phatically denying any truth in the reported new development in Sir Malcolm Delevingne, K.C.B., ROYAL TOURISTS LEAVE Kwangsi.

.' . . . '

He also said that General Wong Shao Hung visited Marshal Li Tsai Hain the other day and consulted him in regard to the proposed peaceful settlement of the Kwange problem.

Marshal' Li replied that he hoped for the early settlement of the Kwangsi situation so as to procure for the long suffering people of Kwangel the enjoyment of a toler tolerable peace.

is Deputy Permanent Under-Secre tary of State at the Home Office, and British Representative on the Advisory Committee of the League of Nations in regard to the trac in opium and dangerous drugs.]

OBITUARY:

"At Napier fires broke out ap- parently swooping over a consider able area of the business centre. Tt death roll carmot yet be eiti mated, as it has not been possible far to re-establish the tele graphic communication destroyed

VICE-ADMIRAL GAUCHET. So far 57 bodies have been iden-hy convulsion, and we are at pre-: tified.

sent relying mainly upon wireless: Armed Marines from the cruisers communications from vosals in

Food and other necessary supplies (MIROUGH REUYER'S AGENCY.} Dunedin and Diomedo are patrol- Napier as the time and H.M.8. are being organised under the sup

PARIO, Feb. 4. Dunedin and H.M.S. Diomede, orvision of Ministers of the Crown, which arrived thaw from Auckland who reached the scene of the disas

The death took place to-day of to-day with medical relief and supton to-day.

Vice Admiral Gauchet, aged 74, plies. It is feared, however, that: Frequent minor shocks are still who commanded the Allied forces Tremors Recommence in Napier

being folt over greater part of the in the Mediterranean in 1916. Bagione person are already known freewry hyperperisaltat hi - Deceased had in crentful carcer much damay to buildings has been in the Far East in the early nine- Earth tremors have recommenced to have perished. in the Napier region, further

caused in outlying districts, the ties ne Commander of the gunboat damaging buildings, and incess

loss of life except at the centre of Lion. In 1654 he rescued 60 Chi the disturbance has been small. nese survivors of the British steam- ing the prevailing alarm, deky

Red Cross officials now estimate

The bed of the Harbour at Napier er Kowshing, sunk by a Japanese has been raised in places by 18 worship during the Sino-Japanese the total death-roll at considerably

War. foet. over 1,000,

ling the town.

Noral parties are distributing foodstuffs.

LATER

the loss of life is severe, ji

Doctore and nurses have been des patched to the District and, a largo number of injured, of whom many are homeless, is now receiving me. dical attention. (Continued at foot of next column,)

JAMAICA.L

NEXT PORT OF CALL CRISTOBAL

[BRITISH WIRELESS SERVICE]

· KINGSTON (Jamaica), Feb. 4. The Prince of Wales and Prince. George sailed from this port for: Cristobal (Panama), on board the liner Oropesa..

PRINCESS BEATRICE. CONDITION CONTINUES

BATISFACTORY.

(BRITION WIRELESĄ. BERVIUM.)

"

The following bulletin was issued at Kensington Palace this evening:

Apart from weakness, which is to be expected at this stage of the illness, the condition of Princess Beatrice continues satisfactory.

(Continued on next Column.)

5% FREE

OF

INCOME

TAX

The forward portion of the flying- boat was towed ashore.

The after portion, in which it is believed the other bodies are, les in deep water.

It is believed that W.C. Tucker was unable to flatten out

the machine as he was about to land,. and hit the soa at about 70 miles an hour. Her bows went under and the flying-boat's back was buckled. Rescued Officers' Condition.

LONDON, Feb. 5. Flying Officer Byley, who is rapidly recovering in hospital from the disaster to the flying-boat at Plymouth yesterday, had been re- commended as a possible Schneider trophy competitor.

The other injured officer, Flight Lieutenant Maurico Ely, is in a crítical condition.

SAFE INVESTMENT" "

BUYS

YOUR

OWN

HOME

Money invested earns a regular dividend of

5/ Free of Tax.

It is absolutely secure and always availablo

to be paid out in full on demand.

No risk of a Falling Dollar.

Have your own HOME ready before you retire.

Established over 60 years. Capital over £1,000,000.

THE MAGNET BUILDING SOCIETY

81-83, HARROW ROAD, LONDON, W.2. Pamphlets from the HONG KONG DAILY PRESS Offices.