The Washington times., 1932-01-02
GIBBONS FINDS
EXCITEMENT
Mn CHINA
Tells E}aw Young American
Arm officer Became
War Zone Engineer
Bv Fl,OYD CIRRONS
lcopyIlgA 1882. by Information
ews Servicel

ews Service,
KOUPA VGTZE, Manchuria,
Jan. 2 U.t.S.).-Hello every
body Ha py New Year!
That is, # the greeting is
not too late because, frankly,
] have no IDEA right this min
ute when this message will
reach you l hope it goes
through all right, because |.
honestly it's the doggonedest
q New Years yarn l ever had
to spin, and believe me, 1t s
hot off the griddle.
I have messed up with few
wars here and there around the
world, but this Manchurlan
rumpus packs more surprises than
boarding hash.
In No Mans Land
Can you imagine an American
Army lieutenant and three China
men in a single locomotive run
ming wild at night between the
lines of two belligerent armies
and the lieutenant now being de-
tanned practically as prisoner
by the Japanese until his identitl-
cation can be established and,
also. until the League of Nations
or somebody or something de-
cides whether this is war in
theory or in fact?
can you imagine pretty
American girl lying flat on her
face on a railroad station plat
form in the middle of Manchuria
while japanese airplanes dropped
200.pound horobs. r. up the
scenery and railroad tracks, kill
ing dozens and driving hundreds
of Russian and Chinese passengers
from stalled express trains IN
panic-stricken terror?
Can you imagine an Irish boiler
inspector calmly smoking his pipe
and taking charge of the situa-
ton, repairing the tracks and
saving the Chinese army from
being trapped by the advancing
Jap forces?
1t All Happened
Well. sir, it's all a fact and 1t |
has all happened in the last two
hectic days and nights in this |
all important Chinese railroad
junction town of Koupangtze,
now completely in the hands OF
the, japanese army.
The American Army officer
gave his name as Lieut.. Harry S.
Aldrich, He was language stu |
dent on duty in connection WIN
the American legation in Pelplng,
but was temporarily assigned
to assist Lieutenant Colonel Mar I
getts, American military attache |
from the Peiping legation.
The night before, about the
time arrived, locomotive rolled
I'D the track from what was sup
posed to have been no mans
land southwest of the toWn-ln |
the very direction in which the
Chinese had retreated. The loco
motive came to a halt to avoid |
head-on collision with a Jap
anese armored car. The japanese
surrounded the engine, and found
one American, three Chinese rail-
way engineers and two tlremen
aboard.
The American woman who sur
to report the japanese occupation
of Koupangtze, and that he would
immedio tely return to ChinchoW,
where he had his headquarters.
He was detained by the japanese,
who desired pref Of the mans
identity.
Mrs. Tina Stern
The American woman, who sur
viyed the bombing of Koupangtze
as the Chinese fled and the Jap
anese invaded the town is Mrs.
Tina Stern, of New York city, at
present living in Tients
She is a stenographer for the
United States Trade Commission
in Mukden. Her hus'-ar Theo
dore, a Georgetown University
graduate, is business advisor for
a Tientsin commercial firm.
En- route from Tientsin to Muk-
den, her train stalled in Kou-
pangtze. All of sudden the
passengers heard a loud ex-
plosion. Planes were seen drop
ping bombs. The girl lay flat
on the platform as four planes
flew low over the station in their
death-dealing mission, each let
ting two bombs drop-elght IN
all.
Eddie Cawley is the name of
the Irish boiler inspector. and
he's a hot one, who served IN
France on the Royal Engineers.
By golly, Eddie grabbed lot OF
those Chinese coolies, threw picks
and shovels into their hands,
marched them out of town to a
spot where bombs had wrecked
the railroad, and put them to
work.
It was the main line leading
from Chinchow- and was holding
uu important express trains, in
ciuding troop trains, which held
Chinese troops trapped in Kou-
panetze while the Japan es e
marched on. They would have
been captured or w"''ld nave
met death in attempting 70 flee
across these frozen fields if 1t