While no newspapermen were al~ lowed to enter' the building ascertain results of the explosion, the extent of damage caused revealed by those who could enter the building indicated that the bomb must have been of a large size, It Third Bombing Attack Proves Abortive Shanghai, Mar. 25, A third attack on a Chungking bbenik, the Farmers Bank, yesterday flernoon proved abortive following prompt and courageous action by the manager who disconnected the mech-ganism of a time bomb sent to the premises only a few minnies before it was set to explode. This attempt took place at 3.. some ftteen minutes after the terrible explosion at the Canidrome. When police were summoned to the Farmers Bank, on "Avenue Road, they examined "the weapon, and found that it" contained over 30Ib, of high explosives. sumieient to wreck the whole building. The total weight of the bomb was about G0 Ib.
The method of getting the bomb on. the premises of the bank was identical to thet used at the Central Banke of China on Bubbling Well Road, A Chinese, dressea as a postman, but without a ap. brought a large pare! to the bank and delivered it' to 0 coolie, He stated that he came from the Post Omiee Savings Bank, The areel_ was wrapped In brown paper. ud was so carefully prepared that pore a Hongkong stamp and postmark The parcel was addressed to the manager of the bank and the coolie {cok it upstairs to his superior's office. The manager started to unwrap the package, but become suspicious and {elephoned to Bubbling "Well Police Station. A party of detectives was sent from the station to examine the In the meantime the manager eon tinued to undo the parcel and, opening it, found that i contained Wootten erate inside a card board box. When he removed the lid he saw a small clock underneath, connected to the body of the bomb by—wires. Without. a moment's hesitation he pullled the wires Som the explosive, thus rendering the weapon harmless He and the coolie then carried it downstairs.
When detectives arrived they dismantled the bomb and discovered: that I was timed to 20 off just two minutes" later. 'The " package" was found to contain a block of TNT Qrin, cube. weighing! about 30. 1b. The' mechanism also included two Aetonators and. two batteries, The weapon was by no means a1 homemade affair and ts thought to have been constructed in a fully. equipped arsenal 'The bravery of the' Chinese manaser of the bank was certainly. the nieans of averting another tragedy similar to the other two. Had Ne not feted swiftly in rendering the bomb harmless the whole promises would have been destroyed, possibly' with heavy casualties, was said that besides the building igele some furniture, still Jett me side the building was' damaged, Heart-rending scenes were witessed when ambulances "came and Went to carry victims to hospitals, One eye-witness said" that "he. saw a decapitated male. Chinese while other vielims who died had been disfigured and dismembered" beyond recognition, It. was ai Meult, to. certain the names of all' vielims, One aged woman who happened to be inside the building was seriously injured whilst her daughter was killed. Among the bank employees keilled was the vice-departmental head of the business affairs om lee Mr. Chen Chung-kwang. "He arrived at his once by car only' about two minutes before the explosion occurred, He was said to be the only high official present ut the ime, Most of the important officials and. many assistants of the bank, which under the direct control of Dr. Hf, H, Kung, Minister of Finance at Chunigkingt ud concurrently "yover= nor of the Bank, moved {o 4fongkkenyg and Chungking tons ago, Despite their withdrawal, 8 Shanghai office has been maintained in. the Canldvome building where the Shang-Rat OMice of the Central Trust also located, The former head ofice ff the bank, situated at 15 the Bund was taken over by Nanking many weeks ayo 10 house its -Shanghat Gite of the Central Reserve Bank, the Inauguration of which - marked the beginning of most fierce finan cial war between "the two main political fuetions In the country, Bank Employees "Arrested"
Two employees of the Bank of Communications "were reported last hight by the "China Evening News" to have been arrested by. "certain quarters" shortly after 11 pan, on. Sunday, The seizures were said t0 have been. made inside a house in San Yi Fang in Jossfeld Road, They are ordinary " employees, One of them "is Me. Liang Tien-hsiang, a clerk employed by the bani's branch Nanking Road while the other 1s Mr, Chang Ling, a clerk of the safely box department of the Institution,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.