Evening star., 1937-12-18
BY A. r. STEELE,
as - ~ = ASA|AAA<s
Chicago Daily News CORRESPONDENT

SHANGHAI, Dec. 1s.-The fall of
Nanking was an awful spectacle of
butchery and confusion, but it would
have been infinitely more frightful If
not for the courageous efforts of a
handful Of American missionaries and
German businessmen who stayed
throughout the siege
Working solely for the welfare Of
100000 civilians remaining In the
stricken city these foreigners ran risks
which came within inches of costing
their lives.
The Intervention of American mis-
sionaries on behalf of Chinese civil
ians known to be innocent saved many
lives during the ruthless japanese
mopping-up operations. Patrols of
japanese soldiers moved through the
streets, searched houses and arrested
people in droves as suspected plain
clothers. Few Of them ever came
back, but those who did said that
their companions had been slaugh-
tered without even the benefit of q
summary trial. .
German Sole Foreigner Hurt.
I witnessed one of these execution
parties and have seen the grim re-
suits Of others. What Is more difi-
cult. have had to listen to the vail
ing and sobbing Of women pleading
for the return of sons and husbands
they will never see again.
The only foreigner wounded in the
Marking siege was q German who
was cut by flying glass when . shell
exploded outside his window, but all
the Is Americans who saw the thing
through could tell stories Of hair
raising escapes. None OF them went
through a more trying ordeal than
two American doctors, c. s. Trimmer
and Robert Wilson, who, despite the
desertion of mos of their Chinese
staff, took in all seriously wounded
Chinese civilians who we're brought
to the doors of their Christian hos
pital.
Amputations were An hourly rou-
tine. A shell burst In the hospital
yard while DR.. Wilson was performing
a delicate operation, shattering the
windows and spattering the operating
room with shrapnel, but the work went
on. They were 50 overwhelmed with
civilian cases they were unable to
accept soldiers whom they directed
to military hospitals. but in several
cases they looked into the muzzles of
guns held by soldiers who demanded
treatment, or else. 1t took tact to
wriggle out of such situations.
Chinese Nurses Robbed.
Later there was q new peril when
Japanese soldiers entered the hos
pital and committed the conscience
less act Of pbbine the Chinese nurses
OF their watches and other articles
Of jewelry.
Other Americans braved shrapnel
and bombs to go after food supplies
for the destitute thousands concen.
trated within the so-called safety zone,
Among the most active was Lewis
Smythe, formerly of the University Of
Chicago, now of the University Of
Nanking, who showed complete disre-
garo Tor his own safety.
Miss Minnie Vautrin Of Secor, H..
who was in charge Of 1000 destitute
Chinese women and children seeking
shelter in the Ginling University, had
hectic time when Japanese shells
burst dangerously close and again
when Japanese invaded the premises
to loot the houses of the Chinese
faculty members Of this mission
school.
Few If any missionary institutions
escaped without some scars Of war
fare.
had my own troubles, but I did
not realize my insecurity until 4 shell
landed In the church back Of my home.
Foreign Area Safe.
The safety zone created in the
heart of fortified Nanking by the
committee Of foreigners was built on a
foundation Of colossal nerve, for from
the frst 1t was evident that neither
side would respect it fully. Never
theless, while score of shells fell in.
side the zone and the area was occa-
sionally sprayed by stray bullets and
shrapnel, 1t was probably safer than
other parts Of the country.
The pathetic aspect of the picture
was the way the Chinese Of this once
intensely nationalistic capital flocked
to foreigners for protection. Ten
years ago when Generalissimo Chisne
kai-sheks Nationalist army marched
into Marking shouting anti-foreign
slogans, display Of the American nag
would have been an invitation to
death. Now thousands Of Chinese
would give anything short Of their
lives to get under the protection OF a
foreign flag.
For those four chaotic days between
the collapse Of the Chinese defense
and the occupation Of Nanking, the
Chinese population submitted them
selves meskly and eagerly 70 sths or