Destroyer Transports to Tsingtao: Under Fire from Japanese and Chinese Forces By an Eve-Wrrsess Haichow, Ku, Sept. 19.
September 19 was set as the day on which Americans from North Kiangsu were tobe evacuated. through the New Harbour at-Haichow. Both the Chinese and Japanese Governments had been notified of the date and both had agreed to facilitate the evacuation in any way they could. The Pope, American destroyer, came over from Tsingtao during the night and anchored about three miles from ihe Lienyun wharf early on the day in question.
In the meantime, about 530 a.m., a party of three American missionaries left the City of Haichow by motor-car for Lienyun, the harbour, about 30 miles from the city. Just before reaching Hsukow, five miles from the harbour, Japanese aeroplanes were seen almost overhead, and anti-aircraft' fung began from several directions. Remembering HIM, Ambassador's experience and also realizing' that what) goes up must come down, the three Ameri- the Presbyterian Church of America. cans stopped the car and took shelter In a, grove of trees, trying to avoid both. direct fire from the planes and the falling fragments from antiaircraft shells, No damage was done to the car nor to the missionaries, except for the shock.
Evacuation Delayed The journey was continued to Lienyun and immediately steps were taken to have a wharf tug to go out and meet the destroyer, which wasin plain sight, Three times the preparations were delayed by air-raid alarms. Two planes at a time would fly over, and the Chinese anti-aircraft batteries would fire at them, While the tug was being delayed in starting, two small gigs from the destroyer left ship with the purpose of bringing Dr, Reed ashore so that he could make a trip to his hospital in Haichow. The Pope meanwhile was waiting for a party of evacuees: who were due on the Lunghai Express. The two gigs had no sooner approached the island which is just outside the Lienyun Harbour than rifles began to crack, and it was soon apparent that the fire was being directed perilously close to the two small boats. "When the captain of the destroyer, who was. on one of the gigs, noticed that a rangefinder the island was directing the fire and (hat the shots which had come closer suddenly were directed over the gigs, he ordered the boats to return to the Pope. The firing then ceased.
Later, the commander of the garrison at Lienyun sent a letter of apology to the captain on the Pope, explaining that the isolated sentries on the island had not fully understood the situation and that they had fired with no other intention except to stop the small boats from coming on any farther. The plan was for the tug to go out to the destroyer, and not for small boats to come over from the ship. It is easy to understand that the sentry would have been unwilling to take a chance, specially when Japanese aeroplanes were flying over at intervals for some hours, and it was known that Japanese warships were not far away.
Mission of Mercy At last the tug brought Dr. Reed to the wharf, whence he made the journey to Haichow by car. After arrangements had been made and all was ready for the trip back to Lien-yun, while a group of Chinese leaders and two American missionaries were having a prayer meeting on the McLauchlin front pore! things began to hum. Twelve Japanese aeroplanes were sighted coming over the City and later twelve more appeared. For some days Japanese planes had been coming over Haichow almost daily, usually in pairs, and ordinarily flying over only once Or twice and then disappearing in the distance. This time the planes zoomed back and forth for about an hour, Machine-gun fire was cessant, but it was not easy to tell whether it was partly from the planes and partly from the Chinese batteries, or entirely from the land batteries, but when the bombs exploded there was no mistaking the work of the planes.
Where other bombs may have exploded there were plenty of rumours, One being that a bomb struck one of the bridges across the Haichow River on the motor road to Ching-but as this is being limited to witness" accounts, only three hits, can be mentioned, Two bombs made large holes in the soft ground in front of the military camp for artillery units which are protecting the Haichow airfield. These bombs struck just a few yards from the road which had been traversed, just a short while before, by American citizens who were going to and from the harbour, and just a very short while after the explosion this same road was travelled by two Americans on their way to the port for embark ation. Another bomb apparently knocked to smithereens a small house near the gate of this same military camp: So far as could be seen these three bombs accomplished nothing of military value.
Anxious Moments A party of American missionaries who were coming from Tsingkiangpu by way of Yuinho and the Lunghai Railway, were held up at Peitapu a small station about fifteen miles west of Haichow and about 45 miles from Lienyun, because of the raids of the Japanese planes. This group spent Several anxious hours on their stationary train while the raiding planes few over them going back and forth from Haichow to Hsuchowfu Gr wherever they went they seemed io be heading for Hsuchowfu, Another party of Americans was held up at the Haichow railway station, for the same reason. The stationmaster there insisted that they go down in a dugout to stay till the raid was over. Finally both groups and those going by car from Haichow reached Lienyun in safety, but not without having had some hair-raising experiences.
Such a situation as has just been recounted is very difficult to understand in view of the fact that the Japanese Government knew the definite date for this evacuation and promised full ce-operation in carrying it out. In Haichow, some time before this, Tokyo was heard broadcasting the word that they had agreed to facilitate the evacuation of Americans through the port of Haichow September 19., Strange that they should have taken that day to imperil the lives of those who were being evacua!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.