German: and: Swiss Missionaries Carried Off Hongkong, Avg. 31:
Up to the present there has been! no trace of the Revs. Kilpper and Fischle, both Germans, and'the Rev. Walter, a Swiss national, who were captured by bandits or' Reds at Kiyingchow, in Kuangtung, near the Pukien border.
No demand for ransom has been received and details. of the capture; are entirely lacking.—Reuter.
Writing on August 22, the Canton correspondent of the "Hongkong Daily Press" says:
Two German missionaries, Messrs, Kilpper and: Fischle, were kidnapped from Kaiyingchow near Swatow and taken away to the mountains; by a gang of Communists on August 17, according to a message received the German Consulate-General in Canton today. A Swiss missionary who has not yet _been identified' was also kidnapped at] the same time and no one knows what has happened' to these three men, It appears that a large number of Communists stormed—the town and after looting it, dashed back to the mountains taking number of prisoners for ransom, 'A Soviet. Government It ig believed that the gang is! part of the Communist horde under} Chu Tak end Mo Chak-tung- who have been pillaging the northern fraatiers of Keangtang for several ars. At present they still occupy Wingting, Dingshow," Shanghang, and other prosperous rural districts! in southern Pukien, and have set] up a sort of Soviet government. A combined. force of Kuangtung, Fukien and Hunan troops is closing on them, but they are still holdout and spreading destruction in these unhappy areas.
The German Consulate in Canton has communicated with the Provincial Government of Kuangtung requesting. that _immediat 10 taken to effect the release ped missionaries, Mr.
he Commissioner of Foreign Affairs, expressed great} regret to the German Consul and assured him that the Chinese Goyernment would do everything in its Power to release the missionaries The military. commanders in the! East River districts have been ordered to take up this matter and the troops already sent against the desperadoes are being reinforced.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.