for Protection The continuous firing on vessels on the Yangtze River by Communist-bandits has resulted in an application being made by thre Post-jai Employecs Union to the postal authorities in which the latter are Fequested to approach the management of the China Merchants Ca, with a suggestion that the Jeabins of the company's vessels in which postal employees carry out their duties should be protected by steel plates. Postal employees are }posted on the China Merchants' teamers to sort and look after the mails carried on board these ve3- sel In recent months, vessels plying' between Shanghai" ard up-river ports have constantly been made targets of by the Communist-bandits on both sides of the Yangtze with the result that foreign and Chinote vessels have been armed with steel plates. The postal ployees complain, however, that their cabins are exposed and they are accorded little or ce protection. Ju foot, they say, they not receive ay much protection pored to danger when ships fired on and there is every possibi-7 of their being shot and kill-In view of this, they ask the postal authorities to' take the matter up at once with the manag:- ment of the China Merchants N. Ca. with a suggestion that steel plates should be provided.
When the matter was taken up Joy the postal authorities with the Merchants' management, reports the Chinese press, the lai ter rejected the request on the groutd that the ship's crows have to be protected by steel plates in order that they may perform their duties even during times when ships are fired on by the Reds. Postal employeer, they say, can seek shelter in protected places when firing breaks out and it is not necessary to accord them special protection.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.