The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-10-24

4
Despite ali denials reports Of o
british. German mediation effort
aimed at stopping the war continued.
II was rimored without conilrma-
ton that 0eneralissiFno Chang
Kai-shek, the Chinese leader had
offered to resign In favor OF wang
Chirg-wei, former president who
was forced from office early IN the
war because he favored negotiating
peacefully with Japan.
AS regards the Japanese side,
the Japanese had won one mn
portant victory at Canton and
seemed on the verge Of another OF
equal Importance at Hankow. They
were In position ~ negotiate peace
whenever they could get satisfactory
terms.
LOCO Chinese Killed
Hankow, oct. "a --tUP)-- one
thousand Chinese were killed when
Japanese bombing planes sank small
Chinese steamships near Yochow, on
the Yangtse ITO miles above Han.
kow, Chinese reports asserted today.
The raid was one Of series along
the Yangtse river and the Hankow-
Canton railroad. as the Japanese
drew near TO the outskirts OF Ham
kow, emergency capital Of the CHI
nese government.
In another raid farther south, on
the Slang river and the railroad, the
British gunboat Sandpiper was Sc
verely damaged In what British
spokesmen asserted was Q deliberate
attack.
VisitationS Of the bombing planes
sent the civilian population Of the
Wuhan cities--Hankow, Wuchang
and Yanyang-fieeing in terror.
Where there had been more than
1 900 900 people, there were few to-
day in addition to the defending
soldiers.
Martial Law Is On
Martial law was imposed In the
entire Hankow area and the death
penalty was prescribed specifically
for looting, disseminating rumors or
propaganda opposing resistance, dis
turbing the monetary system, pro-
viding the Japanese with supplies,
engaging In espionage In behalf OF
the Japanese and causing harm to
foreign residents.
The last boats steamed up the
Yangtse with refugees Saturday
night, and the remaining population
began TO stream westward afoot BY
dusk last night the sister Wuhan
cities were nearly deserted. Even
civilian police left.
Hundreds Of wounded Chinese SOL
diers poured Ia from the north Is
the refugees left, and provided au-
thorities with another evacuation
problem.
Families In flight
Along the highways to the west
entire families trudged together, try.
ing to keep together. The able bod
led men shouldered beds on which
they carried grandmothers and
grandfathers, invalids and children.
other members Of the family fol-
lowed In compact groups.
American and British ships, In
GLIDING the American gtinboats
Lu7on and Guam, ignored Japan
ese demand tina THEY anchor 10
miles I'D the river 10 leave the area
free for bombing. II was UNDER
stood, however, that the Luson and
Guam would leave later.
Foreigners were calm despite q
series OF air raids yesterday, In one
Of which the Canton Hankow rail-
road station was bombed and two
great fires started.
British Chairman
The Chinese foreign ONCE named
w. A. Duplee, British chairman Of
the Foreign Residents association
as administrator Of new special
administrative area consisting OF the
former British concession. The ef-
feet Of the Chinese appointment was
10 return the concession 10 purely
British administrative status.
As the Japanese neared the city,
the high command prepared to move
westward. The main body OF the
Chinese army, except for the troops
left to make the final defense Of the
capital, we're retreating up the
Yangtse toward Ichang.
japanese planes, after bombing
the Hankow area, concentrated theii
fire on junks In which Chinese
troops were retreating up the river
toward Hankow from the front,
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