Further Stories of the Disorder Rampant in the Interior:
Town Looted and Razed by Fire News is coming in from all parts of the country concerning bandit and: Conrmunist activities and it is appar ent from these that the desperadoes are becoming bolder daily.
Following the looting of Changon, town near the Grand Canal in north Kiangsu, last month, a gang bandits, 1,000 strong, entered the town of Kuanglingcheng, 13 miles from Tsingkiangpu, on the evening of May 9 and looted it.
Merchant volunteers and police tried to resist but they were outnumbered and badly defeated. Nevertheless, they fought until their. ammunition gave out and most of the brave fellows were killed or seriously wounded and their rifles were carried away, The tufei then conducted a systematic the town, not a single shop being' passed unnoticed, and seized everything worth taking away. After this, they' set fire to houses in different parts of the town and fled the next morning. Practically, the whole town was razed by fire and thousands are homeless, The District Magistrate of Tsing-Kiangpu, fearing the tufei would attack that city, proclaimed martial Law and asked ' the authorities of Taihsing and Jukao to send troops to assist him in suppressing the bandits. Meanwhile, refugees are pouring into Tsingkiangpu from the neighbouring towns and villages.
Tt was feared that bandits had occupied the town of Sian, Chekiang, near Huchow, several days ago when a number of shots were fired, says the "astern Times." Twenty-nine persons were killed and many others were wounded. Inquiries showed that a number of famine sufferers had entered the town and had gone to the various rice shops, where they attempted to carry away force, because they had had no food for days. This tate of affairs lasted for three days until the police, at the urgent request of the merchants, ordered the lawsbreakers to The latter would not heed this order and police guards, who were posted at the various rice shops, wore fore ed to open fire. As stated, 29 were Killed and many others were wounded, Communist-bandits in Hunan are carrying on their activities with impolity, says the "Sinwanpao." Ever since the provincial troops were sent munists, Peng Linsi-teh and Huang: Kung-lai, for nearly a week, after which it was retaken by government, troops. The public organizations Changsha have appealed to Gen. Chiang Kai-shek to withdraw the Hunan troops from Kuangsi so that they may take part in suppressing the Reds Carrying red Banners, a band of over 2,000 Communist marched on Teh-an, a town on the Nanchang Kiukiang Railway, in Kiangsi, last Friday morning, says a telegram to the Chinese press, and attacked it from three directions, attack being conce ]west gate, and for a jas though the town would fall into their hands.
Instead of remaining in the background, the officer in command of the town troops personally supervise led the defence and his bravery help-fed in keeping up the morale of his men. When one of his machine gunners fell mortally wounded, the officer took charge of the weapon and played it with unerring accuracy on the bandits who sought every] possible shelter from the deadly' fusillade, This action saved the day, land the attack was finally repulsed, the tufei suffering heavy losses. Nevertheless, they resumed the attack shortly afterwards and this continued until noon on the following day when government forces. arrived to reinforce the besieged troops.
Finding they were no match for the troops, the Reds fled to the rounding mountains. Chase was given and scores were either brought down or arrested, the latter being executed the same day at the railway station, An inves the condition of the railway tracks and it was found that part of the line between Chienchang and Teh-an and also between Teh-an and Mahui-Ting had been torn up and that a been destroyed. On train services have [temporarily been suspended.
Meanwhile, troops are being sent} from Nanchang to Teh-an to strengthen the local defences but it is not thought that, after their severe losses, the bandits will dare make another attack for the present.
Peking, May 12.
Reports from foreign sources in tle have been (that bandits, numbering between ug Hankow tend to confirm the reports free. Hand and little or [8,000 and 4,000, captured Yunyang nothing has been done to suppress them, Town after town has fallen into their hands and Communist regimes have been established, latest city to fall being Pingche This place remained in the hands of gangs under the notorious. Com-fon the Honan-Hupeh border and ly slaughtered 15,000 peopl stated that the bandits car-500 hostages for ransom, looting and burning the surround. ing neighbourhood and destroying whole villages.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.