Hankow, Nov. 4.
Word has been received in Ichang from the county-town of Hingshan that the city is being attacked by! communists and brigands and that} help is needed. Hingshan is, about 50 miles from Ichang and not very] easy of access. From Tangshan, another county town, comes. word that after the ravaging of the villages which has "already been. reported, the city itself was entered; by a band of 400 communists who looted the shops for two hours. A. regiment of soldiers which had been' ordered to return to Wuchang arrived on the scene in time to inflict heavy casualties on the communist band. The little town of Patung has been looted and the captain of the militia was killed.
The situation at Hofeng is so rious and the possibility of recuring help is so slight that the I ing people are leaving while possible to get away. Hofeng lies to the Southwest of Ichang among) the mountains and has been looted three times already. Crossing over' to the Southeast of: the province a large "market" called Fanglin has} Just been victimised. That region well known as' a communist centre and the 200 families at Fanglin have stood aloof from this movement. Almost all the property has now been burnt and many of} the men killed. "Similar reports are coming to hand from other places and it is clear that the revival the civil war is denuding the whole! province of its protectors from com-Thunists and brigands,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.