Evening star., 1939-05-06
Foreign Diplomats
Fleeing Chungking,
Wrecked by Bombs
Casualties in Air Ruids
Between 1000 and 5000;
Fires Still Raging
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CHUNGKING, May 6.-Foreign
diplomatic officials joined a general
flight today from this bomb wrecked
Chinese capital, parts of which still
were burning from japanese air
raids that caused an estimated 1000
to 5000 casualties.
The British consulate and EN-
bassy were moved from their badly
damaged buildings to the south bank
of the Yangtze River. Staffs of the
German Embassy and consulate,
whose buildings we're not damaged,
took new quarters in the outskirts.
(Sir Robert Leslie Cragie, Brit
1sh Ambassador to Toxic, in
formed Reno Sawada, assistant
secretary of foreign affairs, of the
gravity of the bombing of the
British consulate in Chungking
and described as entirely unac-
ceptable" the Japanese explana-
ton that anti-aircraft units were
located near the conSulate)
Chungking Becoming Deserted.
Chungking, whose normal popula-
ton of about 650,000 had been swol-
len by refugees to an estimated D.
100000 before the raids Wednesday
and Thursday, began to assume
deserted aspect as hundreds of thou
sands crossed the river or fled to the
countryside. Nearly all foreign firms
IN Chungking proper prepared to
move across the Yangtze.
Fires started mostly by incendiary
bombs had been brought under con-
troll, despite a water shortage. A
light rain fell yesterday afternoon.
Troops maintained order in the
streets, although panic-like rush
for shelter followed a false alarm
late Friday.
"a dispatch from the United
states gunboat Tutuila, stationed
at Chungking, to Shanghai said
there were intermittent raids" by
japanese bombers yesterday, but
American Navy officials later
said these reports were incorrect
and due to a misinterpretation
of messages
Reich Consulate in Fire Path.
The German consulate for a
time was in the path of two fires.
German diplomatic officials, unable
to help, witnessed the death by
burning of more than 100 persons
trapped in the fires. One German
woman named Huber was killed and
her body found near the consulate.
Germans said she apparently was
seeking refuge in the consulate
when she was struck by bombs.
A high foreign official said he
was almost certain no Americans
had been hurt Most of the foreign
population. including many Ameri-
cans, took refuge aboard the
Tutuila and the British gunboat
Falcon.
Chinese Generalissimo Chang
Kai-shek himself assumed direction
of the civil evacuation yesterday.
Twice he inspected damaged areas
and ordered that all motor cars and
trucks be commandeered to trans
port refugees to the country. His
wife supervised the fight Of war
orphans.
Z. S. Headquarters Untouched.
The United States consular and
Embassy headquarters, located on
the south bank of the river and out
side the bombed area, were un-
touched.
Before the raid. the British con-
sulate general buildings were opened
as shelter for Chinese. Subse-
quently bombs fell in the compound,
killing an estimated 80 Chinese and
wounding 55.
Many foreigners took refuge in the
Canadian Mission Agency. The
Methodist Hospital Mission could
not be approached because Of fires,
but it was said that all foreigners
there had reached safety in the out
skirts of Chungking.