Shanghai, Dec, 16.
'ITH happy smiles on their faces and looking none the worse after their enforced stay in Kuling, mountain holiday resort now surrounded by Japanese troops, a party of 48 evacuees, mostly women and children, arrived in Shanghai yesterday morning aboard the Japanese Army transport Omi Maru (3,393 tons) which berthed at the D.K.K, Wharf, Yangtszepoo shortly before 11 o'clock, The evacuation of the party was effected after negotiations lasting three weeks between the British and American authorities and Chinese ollicials, and foreign officers, who carried out the talks before arrangements were made to remove the people, were obliged to puss through the Japanese lines at the foot of the Lushan moun-wins and the Chinese defences erected on the higher slopes.
Originally scheduled to leave on. the U.S.S, Monocacy which was await. ing their arrival at Kiukiang, the evacuees sailed at dowa on Dec, 1 stop. The party of forty-one foreign. fre and their destinations in Shanghai was a3 follow: from that port on the military transport after making the journey down the mountain slopes escorted by Uritish and American naval officers. Cunmeneing their journey from Kuling on the morning of Dee. 10 the parly passed the Chinese lines at 1 }bm,, most of the women being carried sedan chairs which they left whenever barbed wite entanglements were encountered, At the base of the mountain the foreigners were met by Japanese consular representatives and. gendarmes, "while "more than 100 colies were sent as far as the Chi-hose patrol lines to collect their gage which was conveyed to five motor lorries awaiting them at the oot of the mountain, Boarding five \Wucks bearing Red Gross signs they immediately left for Kiukiang.
pleasant reception awaited the burly as they arrived at the DGK. Wharf, many friends, most of them missionaries greeting the evacuees as Wey espied them on the deck of the coming transport, Piles of letters waited the new arrivals all of whom peared to be in perfect health and.
ood spirit, As they came ashore shottly after 11. o'clock hearty handshakes and fond embraces between amily parties illustrated the joyful lure of the evacuation and shortly afterwards the wharf was almost de-Sevted as large groups of them piled their luggage into waiting lorries and made the journey to their new homes itting on top of trunks and suitcases.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.