The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-27
Negotiations For Release OF
Prisoners Failing, Govern
ment Adopts Sterner Meth
ods-Danger OF Victims Be-
ing Killed Grows, Belief
POLITICS WAS BEHIND
H0LDUP, FOREIGNERS SAY.
Celestial General Throws His
Troops In Wide Circle About
Outlaw Stronghold And Is
Now Tightening His Grip.
Prisoners Still Safe

PEKING, May 26.-tBy Associated
Press. machine. guns and rifles to-
night are attempting to force the re-
lease of IA foreigners. including six
Americans. held by Chinese bandits
in the hills above Lincheng.
For three weeks crowds of official
negotiators have labored in vain to
free the captives who were kidnapped
from the Shangh aiPeking Express
May 6.
Now the mountain paths of the
home district of Confucius, 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.
Old Tien ChungYu, tuchun or
military governor of Shantung, Is
having his way, and three brigades
of his troops, with machine 5nas
and two scouting airplanes, haxe
plunged into the hill defiles to dig
the bandits out"
Already the soldiers have had two
brushes with the outlaws, with fatal
tiles on both sides.
Gradually Tightens Hold.
General Tien has thrown his troops
in a wide circle about the bandit
hotbed and he is gradually tighten
ing his strangle hold. cutting the
outlaws communications and hop
ing finally to isolate the gang that
is holding the IA foreigners.
Far above the clouds in the noun
tain prison, crisis is believed to be
approaching. The outlaws are said
to be eager to make terms, but they
fear the promises of Picking. Also,
they know General Tien, who has a
reputation for separating the heads
of brigands from their bodies.
In what they declare is final ef-
fort to come to an agreement, the
brigands yesterday sent out a spokes-
man, accompanied by j. b. Powell of
Shanghai, one of the American pris-
oners. Hitherto all overtures have
failed owing to the kidnapers' de-
mand that any agreement with the
Chinese officials must have an OIL
cial foreign guarantor.
Cnptives In Good Health.
The captives themselves are re-
ported to be generally in good health,
except the Italian millionaire attor-
ney, q. d. Musso, who is suffering
from an injured leg. Their clothing
is poor. living conditions 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.
Behind the Chinese lines, at Tsao
Chwang, is military commission
OF foreign officers, headed by Brig.
Gen. William D. Connor of the Amer
lean army, which is Investigating
measures being taken by the Chi.
nese government for the release OF
the prisoners, The commission will
report it's findings and make any
for action 1t sees
fit to the diplomatic corps at Pc
king.
Politics Behind HoId-Up.
The movement of troops towards
the outlaws retreat folloA ed on the
heels Of statements in diplomatic cir
cles that 1t had been definitely es-
tablished that politics and not ordi-
nary banditry was behind the hold
up of the ShanghaiPeking Express
near Suchow three weeks ago.
1t was freely intimated that one
political faction. hoping to embar-
rass another, had instigated the raid.
1t was limited further that the diplo-
matte corps was considering taking
steps to seize the real and personal
property of certain high official
plotters in an effort to force action
out of the Picking government.
The next day General ITEMS troops
began to file into the hills in the
direction of the Paotzuku strong
hold.
Demands have been made at varl-
Gus times during the past two weeks
by foreign circles in Shanghai that
the powers undertake the release
of the captives either by direct ne
gotiations with the bandits, or by the
use of foreign troops.
The diplomatic corps, however,
maintains that to deal directly with
the bandits would relieve Picking OF
its responsibility for the safety Of
the foreign prisoners, and 50 far has
refrained from initiating such pour
parlers.