The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-03-26
ARMY. UNITS
MAY ALSO BE
SENT THERE
Troops Will BE Gathered
Along Atlantic Seab0ard
and Sent to San Diego
MAY EMBARK APRIL )
With This Addition, Total
u. S. Force in War Zone
Will BE About 5000

Washington, March 26.-tR-Fif-
teen hundred more American marines
were ordered to China today, and
unless the situation improves there
is prospect that infantry units of
the American armv also. will joln the
evolutionary force in the, CAlUese
trouble zone. 1919
The marines will be gathered ffosls
along the Atlantic seatbard, ~{E
cro'' tn. eenti,snt BY train. and Will
sail From San Diego, Calf, as soon
April 3 has been tentatively fixed as
the day Of cmbarkation. The trans
port Henderson has been ordered
from Corinto. Nicaragua, to San
Diego, to take the new contingent
aeYess the Pacific.
williams Asks For More Troops
Admiral Williams specifically ask
ed for 500 more marines. but rank
ing officials Of the state, war and
navy departments seriously consider
ed whether the available marine con-
tingcnts would be sufficient. 1t is
likely that the army units at Hawaii
and the Philippines will be held, in
readiness to 60 to China, if they arc
needed. There already are about
4.50O American marines and blue
Jackets in Admiral Williams command
in China and Chinese waters. About.
1000 more blue jackets arc aboard
three cruisers due in the Chinese
zone on April 3, from Honolulu, and
six additional destroyers carrying
over six hundred men will arrive soon
after. The 1900 marines ordered
across the Pacific today win bring
the total force to about 5000 men.
OF these. upwards Of 5000 will DO
available for landing parties in an
emergency.
More Than $500 Now Ashore
Just how many already are ashore
is unknown to the navy department.
but the number is somewhere in ex-
cess Of l 500.
Increase Of the forces now under
command Of Admiral Williams in
the Chinese war zone was decided ON
after the admiral had reported that
excesses among the undisciplined
Cantonese troops in the Yangtze
river cities presented situation
fraught with gravest possibilities.
The naval officers message was
considered at two early mornirS ~~~.
ficials Of - navy department, and
the other between Secretary Wilbur,
Secretary Kellogg. Admiral Ebcrlc,
the naval chief Of operations. and
Major General Summerall, the army
chief Of staff.
REFUGEES RELATE
NARROWING TALES
Shanghai. March 26.-(AJ-HArrow-
ing tales Of escapes from death at
the hands Of lawless bestial Can
tonese soldiers, inflamed against
foreigners, were related today by
Nankine refugees arriving at Shan"-
hal on the steamers Kungwo and
Wcnchow. The number OF refugees
brought by these steamers tota'ed
22O.
Mrs. John X. Davis. wife Of thr'
United States consul. was still
shaken by the ordeal. She told of
the flight of Americans, including
herself and her two children. from
the consulate, where Cantonese
threatened to kill all foreigners.
Mrs. Davis and her children arrived
with nothing save the clothes on
their backs. She displayed bottle
Of cough syrup given her By an Of
my baggage"
Thursday morning, she related, 23
Americans were gathered at the con-
sulate-she and Mr.. Davis and their
two children. Vice Consul Paxton,
six missionary men, q marine officer.
and II marines. The latter had come
ashore from the destroyer NoA Tues
day to guard the consulate.
At 10 d. m. Thursday word was
received that Cantonese troops had
begun looting; then it was reported
the British and Japanese cOnsuls had
been killed and consulatcs looted.
The party started for Socony Hill.
which had been designated as the
| concentration point, with the stars
and stripes at the head.
Soldiers Fire on Party
Hardly had the party left the con-
sulate when soldiers in nationalist
uniforms fired on them. They kept
up constant sniping from alleys dur
ing the two miles to- the Soc ony
plant. The Davis children, q girl
named Channon, IL, and a boy named
Spencer. 6. bravely walked the entire
distance without a whimper. Mrs
Davis voice trembled with pride ~
she related this portion of the adven-
ture.
She said she reached Socony hill
thoroughly exhausted; the men had
to help her along. The sniping grew
heavier until, when half mile from
the hill, they were almost surround.
ed. There they took refuge in a BAN
boo grove. Three soldiers, who fol
lowed so yards to the rear, fired AND
hit Private Plumley in the back. H
fell. but gamely returned the fire
killing two of his assailants. Ths
other fled. The party ran the .Eest
Of the way and gained the Socon.
station, where several Britishers ant
Americans had already assembled
Women and children were sent up
stairs as the men prepared for de
fense
4 Other groups of refugees arrives
early in the afternoon, bringing til.
, total to more than SO. Soldiers ii
} nationalist uniforms began cominl
! to the house in large groups, de
. manding money and threatening 3,
! kill all within.
Would XIII All FereignesR
This occurred several times. Nj
. Davis and Earl +. Hobart, Standart
II Oil manager, risked their Iiso
(Continusd On paes tASesl