Evening star., 1927-07-05
CAPITAL TEACHER WHO FLED
FROM TIANKOW REACHES HOME
Miss Edith Hart Tells Dra-
matte Story of Trip Down
.Yangtze.
Ship Was Fired on From
Shore, She Says-De-
scribes Conditions.

SUI HUGS OUIiulttUitSs
Having been fired on while escap-
ing from China with the last of the
missionaries to leave the danger zone.
Deaconess Edith Hart principal of st.
Phoebe's Training School for Mission
aries at Hankow, has reached Wash
ington safely and is now at the nome
of her mother, Mrs. Edith Hart,
Seventh street southeast.
Miss Hart left the danger zone only
at the warming of the American con-
sui. On her voyage down the YangtZe
River her boat was attacked. but she
escaped unharmed. She Is here on a
special furlough.
Nav Return This Winter.
Miss Hart, who is a sister of Dr.
James w. Hart, of 2156 + street, and
of Charles Hart, principal OF Eastern
High School, was not due for her
regular furlough until two years from
now, but the stress of circumstances
during the civil war in China and con-
sequent danger, brought orders for
her leave now. She expects to return
to the Orient again in December, IL
the situation has cleared suff1clently:.
Departure of Miss Hart was dramatic
and sudden, owing to the Marking Incl
dent. in which the American colony
escaped from that city farther down
the river, after gunboats had been
forced to pour a barrage Of shots into
the shore, to stop attacks by Chinese.
The Nanking affair had taken P:sfe
March "a, and at noon the next d%y
the American consul general sent
word to Miss Hart and her school
advising them it would be best to
leave the city by o'clock thst night.
With six hours to arrange the future
of their school, which is operated
under supervision of the Domestic
and Foreign Missionary Society of
the Protestant Episcopal Church OF
the United States, Miss Hart con-
cluded this work. packed her per-
sonal belongings, and with Miss Jes-
sic Wilson, a native of Scotland, the
only other foreign teacher at the
school, left the city.
Went on British Ship.
They went on board the British
merchant ship Lung Wo in the
Yangstze River. Under convoy OF
sunboats this ship, with its cargo or
Foreigners and their possessions.
took five days to make the trip or
600 miles to Shanghai.
1t was during this trip, Miss Hart
explained in an interview, that they
were fired upon by Chinese forts on
shore. opposite Chin Kiang and Nam
king. At one place, which she dld
not designate, the gunboats or the
convoy returned the fire, but they
were operating under orders not to
take the aggressive, and hence did
not lose their full attack on the
forts.
Fortunately for herself. and the
party aboard. the Chinese shots
missed the ship for the most part.
When such firing began, all passen'
gers were ordered below, she said.
Some shots hit the steel plates or
the ship, however, and were DETECTED
into the river.
Waited Two Months.
Finally reaching Shanghai after
the proeacted journey in which the
boats all tied up for each night to
proceed the next morning, Miss Hart
said she waited at the port during
April and May, in the hopes that the
situation might clear, so that she
could go back.
Early in June, however, It was
decided by Bishop l.. III. Roots, in
charge of the church's affairs at Han
kow, that further delay would be USE
less and that Miss Hart should take
a furlough home. She sailed June 4.
The school was left in charge of
the IA native teachers. The third
foreign" teacher, Miss Venetia Cox
of Winterville, N. c., was already on
furlough.
In discussing the situation in China,
Miss Hart characterized it as more
distressing and more disturbing to
the nation as whole than anything
which had happened during her II
years experience in that country. She
expressed confidence, however, that
the Intelligence, resourcefulness and
industry of the Chinese people them
selves would eventually bring them
to a sounder position than they ever
had attained before. How long the
interlude of diffifficulties might be,
however. she said, neither she nor
others she knew who were familiar
with Chinese life, could venture to
predict.
Soviet Control i'm Dispute.
Cautious in her remarks on the
situation i'm Hankow, and the rivalry
in China between the Peking govern
ment and the Nationalist party.
which has taken control by force of
arms of much of China, Miss Hart,
upon questioning, told something of
the argument over the alleged partici.
patton of the Russians.
The two wings of the Nationalist
party, she explained. appeared divided
over the alleged red" influence in
China. the one denying charges of
Soviet control, and the other openly
admitting some participation of the
Soviet leaders.
The real Chinese people, however.
whom Miss Hart has come to know
yyo1I dyyipcy har 1opU oyporiarco tharp