Peking, Nov. 2.
Ancrican sailor, together with their British and Japanese follows, are getting daily practices at living targets on the upper Yangtze river this winter, and these members. the Yangtze patrol may become the most effective sharpshooters. in thy Navy. i The rapid growth of Comnunistbandits along the tanks of. the great river above Hankow has made every passage by steamer from Hankow to Tehang and Chungking A real adventure, with practical assurance of the steamer being fired upon at least once, and of pox: bandits. 3 sible battle between sailors and
Disorderly elements for years have amused themselves by firing unpen foreign and Chinese steamers along the upper Yangtze, For years, armed guards of American, British and Japanese sailors have been placed abroad ships of these respective nationalities, to prevent bandits and river pirates from capturing the ships.
No Longer "News" 1
But during the autumn and winter months this year, battles _between foreign guards and Chinese bandits shave become so common along the Yangtze that they are no longer news" unless some foreign. er is hurt, They are like earth quakes in Japan, too frequent to, Dispatches to the Navy from boats which encounter hi are monotonously alike: attacked our steamer from the shore to-day. Several bullets struck the ship, and the bandit fire was answered. No casualties abroad ship, Casualties ashore unknown."
For boats tus attacked do not stop to sce what damage they have done to bandits. The danger hag become so great that they dare not stop at all, except in the Jarger cities where goverament gurvisons are maintained. Outside these walled cities, the Communist-bandits are in supreme control of this vast district, thave set up their own government, and do what they please, Natural Perils The upper Yangtze voyage is perilous enough in ordinary times, The river is filled with rocks and narrow passages through high rock cliffs, There are also mud banks at certain seasons of the year, upon which steamers often got stuck, But steamers which go on mid-banks this winter are in greater danger than ever. For river pirates look for just such an ae: cident, and try to seize the ship. The British steenier Nanking went on a mud-bank in October, and the med guard abroad had to fire con-mucusly for 48 hours to save the boat from capture by besieging bandit force estimated at 2,000. Finally, the guard's "ammunition almost exhausted, a Chinese gunboat suddenly appeared and rescued the British steamer.
Six American sailors dircetod by an officer saved the American, steamer Ichang from capture in the same month, Several American men and women were among the This steamer, like on the upper Yangtze, heavy steel armaments behind which passengers and crew take positions during battles, Two groups attacked this steamer at once, one firing-€rom the shore hile another came up from behind small boats and attempted to board the vessel. But the sailors, assisted by the crew, were equal ta the task, and managed to drive off the pirates and silence the bandits on shore.—United Press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.