Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-26
SOVIET EXPEDITION
IN CHINA IS THREAT
Prospect for Peace Becomes
Less Reassuring as Reports
of Disorders Reach Moscow.
BY the Associated Press.

| LONDON, July 26.-ProSpectS Tor
rapprochement between Nationalist
China and Soviet Russia, and conse-
quent averting of war as an outgrowth
of the crisis in Manchuria, were less
reassuring today.
While increasingly disturbing reports
of border incidents emanated from
Manchuria. the question of negotiations
| to settle the differences growing out OF
seizure of the Chinese Eastern Railway
| appeared to hang in the balance.
Moscow reports told of grave appre-
henSion lest continued atrocities" Spon-
sored by Chinese authorities on Soviet
citizens in Manchuria force Russia to
send an expeditionary force into China
to rescue Soviet citizens
Waiting on Moscow.
C. T. Wang, Chinese foreign minister,
| in a press statement at Shanghai, said
Nanking was waiting to hear from Mos
COW before beginning negotiations and
that he thought it more likely they
would occur at Moscow than either at
Harbin. Changchun or Central China.
He said Chu Zao-Yang, Minister to
Finland, would leave Nanking Saturday
for Harbin en- route to Moscow. There
were various reports that Moscow would
refuse to treat with China until the
Chinese Eastern Railway had been re-
turned to its old status quo, otherwise
restored.
There were reports from Manchuli
that Soviet airplanes had been fired
upon by Chinese at Manchuli, at the
Eastern terminus of the railroad, and
that afterward rival armies encamped
on opposite sides of the frontier there
had fired upon each other.
The danger, In the event Russia
should send an expeditionary force into
Manchuria, was obvious, observers here
commented. General fear was ex-
pressed that continuation of such re-
ports from Manchuria as came from
Moscow would SO irritate the Soviet
headquarters as to nullify the efforts
which have been made at initiating
negotiations to settle the dispute.
Atrocities Reported.
Dispatches from Moscow said disturb
ing reports of continued atrocities have
arrived there, duplicating both Chinese
officials and White Russians along the
length of the Chinese Eastern Railway.
The reports said that mass arrests,
beatings and torturing of Soviet citizens
had become a daily occurrence, with
police raiding all habitations along the
railway and inflicting severe punish
ment on Russian laborers who had not
reported for work since the break in
diplomatic relations.
Forty Russians were arrested at
Pogranichnaya, it was said, and taken
In chains, without food, to Hardin. In
all, several hundred Russians have been
arrested and those still free were rep
resented as trying desperately to return
to Soviet territory.
AlIa0od White p,fccioV1 activities mar
ticularly perturbed the Soviet officials.
Armed White Russian bands were said
to have crossed the border and it was
feared armed clashes might occur at
any moment.
COntraband Found.
The official Tass Agency at Moscow
stated Soviet customs officers at Blago-
vesohensk discovered quantity of arms
and other contraband in the baggage of
the staff Of the Chinese consulate prior
to their departure for Manchuria after
the diplomatic rupture.
Some of the baggage marked consul
lar archives" was said to have con-
tained AZ rifles, large quantity Of car
tridges, about 10 pounds of gold dust,
and 20 pounds of silver boullion. The
contraband was confiscated.
Reacting to reports Of alleged atroci-
ties In which Russian citizens In Man.
churia were victims, thousands of SOL
diers, sailors and workmen in Moscow
adopted mass resolutions for speedy re-
prfsals.
Thousands of workers in Leningrad
are reported to have resolved in mass
meetings last night that "the Leningrad
| workers insist that the Soviet govern
ment take decisive steps against naughty
Chinese and White Guard bands. The
workers declare that the Russian peace
policy does not mean Russia Is resigned
to submitting to outrages.
"The moment has come when we
must speak out in a different language
and take special measures"
Soldiers and Sailors Act.
Red army and Red fleet units from
the Leningrad garrison and the BaItic
fleet passed a resolution that Red SOL
diers and Red sailors and the command
ing staff demand most emphatically that
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