Evening star., 1937-12-17
BY c. YATES MCDANIEL,

BY C. YATES MCDANIEL.
ABOARD THE DESTROYER
TSUGA, Dec. 1.-THE morale of Chi
nese armies defending Nanking broke
suddenly Sunday afternoon.
What had been planned as slow
ordered retreat turned into a wild
rout. Marking had night of terror
Thousands of Chinese soldiers fought
to escape from the city by single
gate.
And on Monday the Rising Sun
flag Of Japan was raised over the
city's walls.
Retreating troops were entering
Nanking in apparently good order
and good spirits. Suddenly, Sunday
afternoon, a brigade which had been
hammered throughout the day broke
from its position and dashed into
the city.
Pass American Embassy.
The soldiers ran past the American
Embassy, scattering crowds of civilians
before them, and shouting: THE
japanese are within the city. We
are surrounded"
The first rout was stopped a hun
dreds yards past the embassy by mill
tary police, who opened fire on its
leaders, killing six of them and turn
ing back the rest.
But the mad infection raced through
the city.
BY dark Markings main streets
were filled with troops from all posi-
tions outside the walls. First they
walked. Then they broke into a wild
run. AS the pace quickened, panic
stricken Chinese soldiers shed their
rifles, helmets and uniforms.
Wounded Wander Helplessly.
The wounded who were able to walk
wandered helplessly through the
streets. Many soldiers were shot by
their comrades in the stampede to
the river gate on the west-the door,
way to escape.
Near the war ministry a truck
stalled. Within few minutes the
roadway was jammed with men, pack
mules, new French 75-milimeter guns,
anti-aircraft guns and baby tanks.
Some one tried to break the lam
by setting fire to a gasoline truck
Soon the flames reached ammunition
wagons. Shells exploded Animals
and humans near the jam were
killed, burned or mangled.
The river gate sandbag barricade
turned out to be a death trap for
many. Some were shot down by curs-
ing comrades.
The fallen were trampled into a
shapeless pulp. Before the gates
superstructure was burned by guards
attempting to turn the tide, thousands
reached the Yangtze and crossed to
Pukow in junks, sampans and
launches. Many were drowned in
the crossing
Other thousands who fled through
the gate melted into the darkness
IN the narrow strip of countryside not
then reached by encircling japanese.
I was unable to force nv wav
through the howling mass, so I took
a roundabout route to nv home. which
overlooks the river gate and the city
wall.
Government Building Fired.
The panic-stricken Chinese set fire
to munitions stored in the basement
OF the million-dollar Communications
Ministry Building, the largest and
most handsome structure in the CITY.
Three hours later it was a smolderine
ruin.
At 3 o'clock Monday morning came
another series of shattering explosions.
Salvo after salvo of Chinese artillery
IRE roared outside the walls.
Projectiles screamed overhead. The
riverside and hillside batteries which
supposedly made Nanking impregna-
Bile from river attack unlimbered. the
gunners firing in whatever direction
their pieces happened to be pointing
when they decided to join their COM
rades in fight.
Throughout the night I heard the
wild cries of Chinese, rifle fire and
deaftening explosions. japanese ar
t1llery batteries pounding steadily in
the south.
At sunrise I saw the remaining
city wall defenders 200 yards away,
engaged in futile attempt to halt
the japanese advance.
I was afraid I might be caught be-
tween the defenders of the wall and
the Japanese pushing northward
through the city, 50 I walked around
sandbag and barbed-wire barricades
and reached the United States En-
bassy.
Later in the morning I found that
the japanese had reached Markings
northeastern entrance, the Gate of
Benevolent Peace"
got there just in time to see JAP
anese scouts crawl through breach in
the gate and nail the Rising Sun flag
to mast. was stopped once at pistol
point by a Cantonese unit holding a
crossroads, apparently unaware that
their officers had deserted them and
that they were surrounded by the
enemy.
Throughout the day met Chinese
units wandering aimlessly through the
streets asking: Where is headquar-
ters?"
= Monday japanese were mopping up
remnants Of Chinese troops inside the
walls.
Tuesday Is japanese destroyers and
onna:ol n:ll.