Singapore, Jan. 28.
British warships of the East Indies Squadron and the China Station will concentrate here in the middle of March, it was announced today. The concentration of a large number of British warships here will probably result in the holding of manceuvres in the latter part of March.
The cruisers Manchester, Liverpool and Norfolk of the East Indies Squadron under the command of Vice-Admiral James Fownes Somerville and the cruisers Kent and Suffolk, the Admiral's yacht Falmouth and the aircraft carrier, Eagle as well as the majority of destroyers and submarines of the China Station under Vice-Admiral Sir Percy Noble, are to visit Singapore in the middle of March.—United Press.
Casualties Now Estimated to Total 30,000 Dead Disease and Famine Expected to Increase Toll Santiago, Jan. 27. TMPROVED communication with earthquakesstricken areas of Chile today revealed even worse suffering and death than first reports had indicated.
The Government increased relief measures to stave off disease an d famine over an area of 4,000 square miles.
Reports from a dozen cities said hundreds of dead were still strewn in the streets and under tons of debris three days after the disastrous earthquake which struck south-western Chile on Tuesday night, killing an estimated 30,000 persons, most of them while they slept in their crumbling homes.
The Ministry of Labour officially estimated today that 8,000 dead in the stricken area already had been buried. The announcement reported a severe shortage of coffins which led the Govern-! ment to requisition all wood in the stricken area.
The Government commandeered all radio stations, both short and long wave, and ordered that only official news dispatches should be broadcast during the present emergency.
Tons of medical supplies, food and clothes were en route to the earthquake area by plane, air, rail and highway today as repair crews worked in continuous shifts to restore transportation facilities to the devastated Chlorine equipment w: sent to a: many damaged cities as possible afte: reports from Chilian said that more than 1,400 bodies still were strewn in the streets of that city. A blazing hot sun; which added fire to the area.
Hardest hit areas were those round Chilian, San Carlos and Parral to Which a new convoy of fifty trucks and cars was rushing medical and food supplies Army officers directing relief work in some areas reported several towns had to be abandoned because of the terrible stench and the risk to public health from unburied bodies buried beneath demolished buildings.
Linares has become one of the main headquarters for relief work from where supplies are being distributed as rapidly as possible. Another headquarters will be established near the wrecked city of Concepcion to work inland from the Pacific coast. Dozens of towns have not yet been reached by relief workers.
Civilians were being evacuated from cities hardest hit as a public health measure. Removal of the injured and hysterical proved difficult because of the shortage of trucks and ears and the damaged condition of highways. from dozens of abandoned towns and villages.
Natives continued to pray for rain today in the hope that fires, still burning in some areas, would be extinguished and parts of their towns saved.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.