Evening star., 1926-10-09
WUCHANG MAY END
SIEGE TOMORROW
Surrender to Cantonese Ex-
pected by Many-10,000
Have Perished.


HANkOW, October 9.--Ten thou
sand persons have died, most of them
Of starvation. in the horror city of
Wuchang since the Cantonese Red
Army began its siege at the end of
August. The figures are those of Chi
nese officials. No white man could
penetrate the barred buildings in
which hundreds stICCumbed i'm secret
misery.
Five hundred coffins have been
shipped to WuChang To bury those
trampled to death or drowned in the
frantic effort to board boats to take
them across the Yangtze to Hankow
and 50 fety.
An Associated Press correspondent,
who walked yesterday through the
streets of Wuchang, found them de-
serted except for neglected dead ly
ing in'the roadways. The city. which.
with Hankow and Hanyang. formed
he commercial center of middle China.
is desolate. Many of its fine buildings
had been destroyed by flame or shell
fire.
Missions Are Deserted
The numerous mission structures
We're deserted. Barred shops and
dwellings hid from view the tragedy
of death in the city Of a half million
population wrought by the besieging
Cantonese outside its walls.
Failing in their efforts to carry
Wuchang by direct attack. defeated
in hand-to-hand fighting in the city
streets, with its northern army de-
tenders. the Cantonese at a safe dis
tance maintained a war of attritiOn--
starvation is their weapon.
1t is rumored that the Cantonese
will grant the proposal of the defend
ers TO yield the city If permitted to
serve in the army that has shelled
and starved them.
May Surrender Tomorrow.
The date for surrender is said to be
October 10, national holiday cele
brating the founding of the Chinese
republic. This date, however, is also
that set by a Cantonese ultimatum
for the beginning of general bonn
, bardment of the emancipated beings
who crawl about the fOOdleSS city.
Refugees ceased yesterday their des-
perate struggles to board rescue boats
for Hankow, two miles distance
across the YanGtZe. This is believed
to reflect their belief that Wuchang
is to he delivered to the southern
forces and that they will he allowed
to remain undisturbed in their homes
! The humble Chinese civilians have
no IdIt III tno StTll&SIe OF military
chieftains for wealth or aggra aEdize-
ment. the prize being the central
provinces which the Cantonese seek
! to wrest from the control of Marsha
/ WI Pei Fu.
Fifty thousand Wuchang refugees
are receiving the ministratons of the
Red Cross of Hankow and organiza-
| tions cooperating in the work of re-
lief and charity
Three Missionaries Held.
SHANGHAI. October Q LP-Three
American missionaries. captured by
| Human Province bandits October 3.
are still held by the Chinese ma
rauders. in the belief Of various mis-
sion headquarters here which have re-
ceived no word from them. The mis-
sionaries are Miss Minerva s. Well
and Karl II. Beck of the Reformed
Mission and Miss Lydia koebbe Of the
Evangelical Mission
Missionaries remaining in populous
centers like Nanchang and Chengtu
are believed TO be in no immediate
danger. They are. however, under
going extra ordinary ha rdShips These
are due chiefly to the chaotic condi-
tions caused by the civil war and, in
part. to the unfriendly feeling re.
Gently toward foreigners.