Evening star., 1935-01-13
RED TERROR GRIPS
BIG CHINESE AREA
Missionaries Prepared to
Flee Posts to Escape Row.
ing Bandit Gangs.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, January ia sharp
increase in disorders in Central China
was reported today as the scattered
remnants of the red army of Kiangsi
Province overran neighboring prov
inces in a desperate effort to reach
other Communist centers.
With effective government opposi-
tion to the rowing red hordes appar-
emily unlikely for the present, mis-
sionaries in the provinces surrounding
Kiangsi were ready to evacuate their
stations.
Scores already have been forced to
flee to places of safety, their lives en-
dangered by the hosts of bandits
strangling irregularly westward.
The ferocity of the fugitive red
troops was brought to world attention
recently with the coldblooded murder
of Mr.. and Mrs. J. c. STAN, young
American missionary couple, after
their capture at Tsingteh, Southern
Anhwei Province, last December 6.
Bands Strike Quickly.
The rowing bands of reds move SO
swiftly through the country that fire.
quently villages are set upon without
the slightest warning.
A letter written by Stam after his
capture said he and his family were
not aware of the approach Of the out
law army until it was at the gates
of the village. The invading horde
swiftly plundered the village and was
gone within a few hours, taking many
captives and many carloads of booty
1t is the mobility of the bands that
makes pursuit by government forces
difficult. The mountainous nature OF
the regions and the absence OF gooo
roads are also obstacles.
BY avoiding garrisoned main cen
ters of population, the itinerant brig
ands and reds are often able to escape
contact with government armies fol
weeks at a time. They seldom NEE
resistance from the smalled villages
protected only by weak "self-defense'
forces. The villagers are well aware
that any show of resistance would b'
avenged by a wholesale massacre.
In their fight from Kiangsi befor'
the smashing offensive of the Nankint
armies last Autumn the Communit!
remnants have followed two malr
''llnes of least resistance"
One of these routes leads to tht
northeast. 1t is estimated that 25,00(
Communist and other irregular
troops have poured into weakly de-
Tended well" which includes North
10 Arhuoi O r
and Northern Fukien Provinces.
Reds Hate United States.
Villagers of Tsingteh, where th'
Siam couple lived with their infan
child, say it was the army of Fan Chi
Ming which was responsible for th'
kidnapping and murder of the Amer
lean couple. They declared that thu
execution of Mr. and Mrs. STAN wa
ordered out of hatred by the reds fo
the United States, because it hat
shown friendliness to the Nankins
government. But the outlaw lead
ers showed they were net without
small trace of chivalry when the.
spared the life of the 4-month-olC
daughter of the missionary couple.
At least so missionaries-chiefy
American and British-have beer
withdrawn from stations in Human
Kweichow and Szechuan Provinces il
advance of the Communist invasion
One group of five British missionarie'
failed, however. to escape the reds
They were waylaid and captured b.
Communist troops. Three women IL
the party we're released, but the tw'
men, r. A. Bosshardt and A. Hyman
ARE still held by their captors.