Comrade Borodin is known to be ldistinetly worried and is very feritical of the rapidity with which Chinese generals change their allegiance. He considers that the next few days are likely to be Hankow, May 19. ching or burst" sums up the tuation from the point of view of the Communist "Government," for Hankow is gradually being encircled:
General Chiang Kai-shek in the south and east, by General Yang' Sen and Marshal Wu Pei-fu in. the Hwest and by Marshal Chang Tso-lin in the north, that is, all points lexcopt the north-west. This dangerous situation renders an advance the latter direction to Chengcho imperative, Chengchow is an. portant jhiction leading in one direction to Peking, in another to [Shensi, This city must be held the commninists if the latter's forces, the event of defeat, are to escape to Mongolia, the path to which lies through Shensi, The Hankiow authorities claim the capture of, Siping, 100 miles south Martial law has been proclaimed in all the areas of Hankow and Wuchang except in the ex-foreign concessions. The Chinese authorities! fare building barricades in the ex-British Concession to hold up any Possible rush from the native city.
A holiday was enforced to-day, the occasion of a mass meeting in the native city. The workers, however, were afraid to attend, fearing they would be forcibly enlisted into the. communist army, which is roping in thousands of men.
Strenvous propaganda is being carried on calling on the masses to "enlist in the Labour Party and fight the advancing forces for self-Protection," forecasting that otherwise there will be "a. massacre of labourers by the enemy."
Various Nationalist -boteavx, in-Jcluding the Politi¢al. Council ' and!
His aeroplane is at present alan, side the Hamburg Amerika Company's pontoon at the ex-German Concession, in which Borodin resides 'The communist newspaper "The People's Tribune" says: "As we write, carts laden with household goods are passing our window. There are whisperings of woe and impending disaster in the ai }Ail day long panic stricken people have' been moving into places which Uhey apparently consider safer than [thei homes, while elated foreigners think they' see the beginning of tue end of the hated rule of the Nationalists in Hankow."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.