Show t I I General Genera 1 Mah Man Ready iFor For Fight to Death L m m j Chinese Commander in Manchuria Prepared to Oppose Japanese Although Greatly Outnumbered Wants League to Act Editors Editor's Note After a a. night journey from Harbin arbin to the headquarters of or General Mah Iah Shan Chan-Shan In Frederick Kuh Kub veteran United Press Tress correspondent has obtained the first interview with the Chinese general whose activities in northern Manchuria play such an Important part in the present Sino Sino- Japanese crisis Traveling to and from Crom Kuh passed through the river zone where here a a. week-end week of fighting has s intensified feeling In a a. dramatic midnight interview General Mah ah tells th the United Press correspondent that althou although h he is b greatly outnumbered outnumbered outnumbered out out- numbered he Is determined to fight to the death against what he regards as Japanese interference in northern Man Man- churia By FREDERICK KUH KUIT World 1 Copyright 1931 by the United Press Pru- All Bights Reserved R Reproduction Prohibited Manchuria Nov 16 General 16 General Mah Chan- Chan Shan my mysterious erious and aId powerful commander of the Chinese army in North Manchuria went out to assume personal direction tion of pi warfare against the Japanese today with a decla declaration ration that he would fight until the last man had fallen Wrapped in a great fur-collared fur military cloak General Genera Ma Mah Maii received me at his headquarters and outlined his policies poll poll- cies des to me a few minutes before he departed on a dash t to the scene of battle on the sector a few miles mUes south o of As I talked with this short slender military leader whose stubborn opposition to the Japanese has led to grave complications complications in Manchuria he was constantly receiving reports of the fighting 30 miles mUes away Despite the gravity of th the military situation General Mah spoke with fatalistic calm calmas as he drove home four points 1 That Japan is beginning a great offensive which may result in the bombing of 2 That the Chinese are not strong enough to lo fight but we must hold our ground until death 3 That the Chinese have not been aided by and do not want the aid of soviet Russia 4 4 That the Chinese want the league of or nations to intervene EXPECTS OFFENSIVE I 1 am convinced we face a great greal offensive immediately said General Mah l as he glanced hastily at messages telling of the spread of fighting near on the Chinese Eastern astern railroad We have lost more than killed and wounded since November November November Novem Novem- ber 5 The Japanese handed me an ultimatum I know we weare weare are not strong enough to resist but we must hold our ground until death I Reports of new new battles along the front arrived at intervals by courier and telephone as we talked In a near by room General Mahs Mah's staff stat was pouring over military maps From time to time an orderly orde interrupt interrupted interrupted inter inter- rupt d our conversation with a new dispatch In this atmosphere of war General Mali llah admitted that he has little hope for or the success of his military activities activities activities ties against th the Japanese that he expects expects expeels ex ex- ex- ex peels an a aerial rial bombardment of his city ity and that his only eventual hope hopes is s in m determined intervention by the league of nations nation He indignantly repudiated the re repeated repeated repeated re- re charges that his forces have received aid oid from soviet Russia or that hat he was assisted in his bold defiance defiance de- de fiance of Japan by anything other than han patriotic appeals from his people to o hold our ground until death My interview with General Mah cloaked and uniformed for an early morning dash to the front lines of or his little ittle army came tame after a thrilling ride through the darkness of of the Man- Man Continued on Pace Fue Two I GENERAl DEATH Continued from Pace Fue aco One plains from rom cen cn- cn ter of t today's war zone The railway station elation at was alive with military and civil con con- fusion Squads of soldiers were con I being be be- ing hustled about Supplies were being being belag be be- ing lag rushed to freight cars A great part of the civilian population was crowded into the station and along its platforms But a group of at Chinese soldiers leaning on their rifles rilles had time for more than a casual smiling glance at little knots girls I talking volubly in the swirling crowd Here I was met by Paul Lew Gen Gen- eral Mahs Mah's s secretary He is a youth of 24 who speaks spew excellent English and who wha thoroughly worships the thc I Chinese commander command r. r Lew took me to a branch railway where on a sidetrack General Mah MahS special train was waiting The special special cial train consisted of an engine about aboul 25 feet long to which was attached a saloon car and a trailer On the trailer muffled in fur coats were a squad of gu guards which was somewhat reassuring We pulled out of and as the little train with train with alt all the thrills of an n amusement park roller coaster dashed up and down the hills we settled down downto to such comforts as it provided The comforts consisted of a kerosene kero kero- sene sane lamp and a wood stove the fuel for Cor which was neatly piled in a box beside it A nondescript wooden table was bare save for a box a of Russian the the only indication I saw throughout the trip of the so called soviet influence MEETS COLLECTOR Arriving at and md before I had a chance to U look about I was met on the platform by S. S J. J Bar Bardens an nn Englishman who had wandered into the danger zone seeking to collect a n bill from a Chinese customer for tor the thc Vacuum Oil on company which he rep rep- resents Bardens was on his way out We expect trouble his customer had told Bardens by tomorrow But if it you care to remain here herc well we'll beable be beable beable able to pay you soon Bardens decided decided decided de de- de- de to return to Harbin rather than wait to collect The first large group t to attract attention attention at at- at on the platform was headed by the outgoing Japanese consul who Vas was surrounded surrounded surrounded sur sur- rounded by bylO 10 of at his subordinates and andl I representatives of the agency agency gency for or the South Manchuria railroad had been impatiently nW awaiting thear rival of at my train He was waa planning to leave for Cor and thence for lor Harbin Only one Japanese was being left behind and nd that one perforce because because be be- I be-I cause he was a prisoner in custody of ot the Chinese who ca m him reconnoitering recon- recon g the tern taU tail way The consul and his party took possession possessIon possession pos pos- session of the car carl I had just left There was an an atmosphere of tense excitement excitement excite excite- ment about this leave taking and ana hundreds hundreds hun hun- of Chinese crowded about the party Jamming the iho garishly y lighted platform talking and gesticulating wildly The crowds peered at the departing departing departing de de- de- de I parting Japanese more moro with an at attitude attitude attitude at- at I of curiosity than hostility SEES NO SOVIET AID AIDIn AIDIn AIDIn In a hasty conversation Consul Shi- Shi said he intended to return to as soon as the situation had been clarified He added that s so far faras faras faras as he was able to observe General Mah had received no aid from the sovi Soviets ts Soldiers made a lane for us to o pass outside to General Mahs Mah's automobile which was was to take us the last tw two miles to the generals general's headquarters On the way as we passed through squalid dimly lighted streets Paul Lew explained something of General Mahs Mah's present situation The soldiers in Mahs Mah's army are paid only ohly the equivalent of one American Americ dollar a a month fo for their services but boast of of their loyalty to the com corn mander Regarding the talk of at soviet assistance as as- assistance Lew cited the Dutch consul consul consul con con- sul at Harbin Vander Hoeven as declaring affer after a a. visit to Saturday that he had bad ad failed to find any basis for the allegations a and said fhI confirmed the findings of Am American British and other officials officials officials' dais dais' who had made similar investigations invest invest- at at and in the Nonne Nonna river zone One Suddenly in the darkness we came camo to to the gov governors governor's mansion a low story one-story building on whose white walls walIs were silhouetted the shadows of ot the outer Iron gates and the rifles of sentries standing at attention A squad of soldiers stepped to attention at at- and saluted as we passed through the gates and ana entered the house I IIIi In IIi a room at the left of t f the en en- trance Mahs Mah's general staff was crowded around a a. large table on n which appeared an expanse of military military mili mill tary lazy maps ORIENTAL SP SPLENDOR General Mah's Mahs room was furnished In s splendor Heavy Persian rugs covered the floor and beautiful d colored dork c cur curtains u r t a I ns n's shaded the windows General Mah strode intO the room shook hands a a. formal bow and sat down on a a. sofa beside the table He was dressed for the front In uniform and great fur collared coat but butt buthis his feet teet were awaiting await await- ing lag the heavy military boots that a few tew minutes later were to complete com corn plate his costume Mah Mab is 46 years old short and slender He wears a thin drooping mustache and his head Is closely shaven Gesticulating as aa he be offered me refreshments refreshments refreshments re re- and helped himself he explained l at once that his army of men mon is receiving absolutely no I assistance from any foreign power Rumors that Moscow is helping me must be due to the fact that while I was chief chic of police pollee of f the town of I used to dine twice a j year with the soviet soviet- officials He smiled I can swear that no foreigners for for- foreigners eigners have given or are giving us guns munitions supplies or money Ve We want he continued the help of the league of nations not of the Russians If we wc receive the leagues aid that may prevent a Japanese victory CASUALTIES HEAVY Our casualties have been more than killed and wound wound- ed Today I received from a Japanese Japan Japan- ese emissary an ultimatum urging me to resign if I want to avoid trouble I believe the Japanese Japan ese want Chang Pen Hal-Pen to succeed me as governor of Kiang Klang but they haven't made that point clear Chang Pen Hal Js Ja 9 leader of at the pro Japanese forces which have rec recently re re- c been threatening a factional war against MahI MahI Mah Mab I 1 cannot say whether an aerial bombardment of is impending impending im im- ha- ha pending or not Mah continued but I am convinced we we faco face a big offensive offensive of ot- immediately and I think Consul departed in anticipation anticIpation anticipation antici anticI- pation of itI it I sent my chief of staff to ask I to stay in but the consul said he must gO EO to Harbin I for a few days We sipped our tea and ate our biscuits bis bs- bis- bis cults and the general poured out French champagne and proposed toasts t to our respective nations Then he continued his story of at present pres pros a ent nt events Replying to today's ultimatum he said I have asked the Japanese whether they want the Chinese or t the he Japanese to run the kiang klang provincial government and Inquired I i inquired who would assume the power In if I should go The general added that he had a authorized nobody at Harbin or anywhere a else to conduct negotiations negotiations t ions with the Japanese WANTS LEAGUE ACTION I want the league of at nations to f fulfill its dut duty he declared I 1 I want it to force the Japanese to withdraw from northern Manchuria We Ve have received many appeals f from Crom rom all parts of China bidding us uso t to o stand firm I know we are not s strong trong enough to fight But we must hold our ground until death If I Iam Iam Iam am forced to abandon I Intend I i intend to go back to the country By this the general Implied that ho he would return to whose affairs he administered for tor several years Meanwhile the wounded were arriving arriving arriving ar ar- ar- ar riving at They are treated treat treat- ed ad in a primitive hospital where there are no nurses on duty and where the attendants are all young Chinese doctors schooled for tor the most part in the United States Mah informed me with pride that the Chinese at Harbin are sending money clothing and to the themen themen themen men at the front Throughout my Interview Paul Lew acted as interpreter There was no atmosphere of haste hasto in General Mahs Mah's attitude although I 1 knew ho he was anxious to plunge Into his war business again and that as soon as I had gone he would pull on his boots and leave for tor the front trant 30 miles away |