Evening star., 1923-05-27
Planes and Machine Guns
Used in Effort to Res
cue Captives.
PRISONERS HEALTH
IS GOOD, REPORTED
Brigands' Terms for Release of
Foreigners Fail to Win
Support.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PEK1NG, May 26-Machine guns
and rifles tonight are attempting to
force the release Of fourteen foreign
ers, including six Americans, held
by Chinese bandits in the hills above
Lincheng.
negotiators have labored in vain to
free the captives who were kidnapped
from the Shanghai-Peking express
near Suchow May s.
Now the mountain paths of the
home district of CONTIGUOUS. China's
greatest sage, that for days have
been filled with runners carrying
terms back and forth between the
Paotzuku fortress and the negotia-
tors below, are being put to other
uses.
To Dig Bandits Out.
Old Tien Chung Yu, tuchun, or mill
tary governor of Shantung, is hav-
ing his way. and three brigades of
his troops, with machine guns and
two scouting airplanes, have plunged
into the hill deflles to dig the
bandits out"
Already the soldiers have had two
brushes with the outlaws with fatali-
ties on both sides
Gen. Tien has thrown his troops in
wide circle about the bandit hot
bed and he is gradually tightening his
strangle hold, cutting the outlaws
communications, and hoping finally to
isolate the gang that is holding the
fourteen foreigners.
Crisis Is Nearing.
Far above the clouds in the noun
tain prison. a crisis is believed to be
approaching. The outlaws are said
to be eager to make terms. but they
fear the promises of Peking. Also
they know Gen. Tien, who has a repu-
tation for separating the heads OF
brigands from their bodies.
In what they declare is a final effort
to come to an agreement, the brigands
yesterday sent out a spokesman, ac-
companied by ]. B. Powell of Shans-
hal, one of the American prisoners.
Hitherto, all overtures have failed
owing to the kidnapers' demands that
any agreement with the Chinese off,
cials must have an official foreign
guarantor.
The captives are reported to be
generally in good health, except the
wealthy Italian attorney, G. d. Musso,
who is suffering from an injured leg.
Their clothing is poor, living condi-
tions in their prison are bad and food
is none too plentiful, but in spite Of
all they are said to be standing the
strain well.
Omcers Investigate.
Behind the Chinese lines, at Tsac-
chwang, is a military commission of
foreign officers. headed by Brig. Gen.
William D. Connor Of the American
Army, which Is investigating meas
ures being taken by the Chinese gov
ernment for the release of the pris-
oners. The commission will report
its findings and make any recommen-
dations for action 1t sees fit to the
diplomatic corps at Peking.
The movement of Chinese troops
toward the outlaws retreat followed
on the heels of statements in diplo-
matte circles that it has been def
nitely established that politics and
not ordinary banditry was behind the
hold-up of the Shanghai-Peking ex-
press.
1t was freely intimated that one
political faction, hoping to embarrass
another, had instigated the raid. 1t
was hinted further that the diplo-
matte corps was considering taking
steps to seize the real and personal
property of certain high official plot
ters in an effort to force action out
of the Peking government.
The next day Gen. ITEMS troops be-
gan to file into the hills in the direc-
ton of the Paotzuku stronghold.
Demands have been made at various
times during the past two weeks by
foreign circles in Shanghai that the
powers undertake the release of the
captives either by direct negotiations
with the bandits or by the use Of for
eign troops.
Action Is Delayed.
The Diplomatic corps, however,
Continued on Page T. Column II