Blank Shots Fired at U.S. Marines

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 33, 2 November 1937, Page 5

Blank Shots Fired at U.S. Marines

■Presa Asan.-

JAPANESE RAID Rice-Laden Junk Seized from American Crew m iULSTERMEN SHIFT CAMP

rBv Telecrapli

-Copyright.i

(Eeceived 2, 11150 a.m.) SHANGHAI, Nov.-l. Brigadier Beaumont tbe United States commander-in-cnief, strongly protested against tbe action of Japanese bluejackets who, he allegeB, crossed the Soochow Creek from Chapei ' and seized a rice-laden Chinese junk manned by United States marines and lying on the international side of the creek after driving off the crew by shots which afterwards proved to be blank. Vice-Admiral Hasegawa, tbe Japanese commander, expressed regret and promised that there would be no recurrence. The Japanese are holding on precariously t© positions across the Soochow Ureek. Engineers, under cover of smokescreens, have constructed five pontoon bridges, over which -troops are passing. Their movements are covered by artillery and warplanes. The lloyal Ulster Rifles have moved from the huts constituting the Jessfield barracks to quarters at the junction of Brenan and Yuyuan road, in the west of Shanghai. Marshal Chiang Kai-shek has promoted by one rank all officers and men of' the "doomed battalion," which held out against the Japanese in a Chapei warehouse until ordered by the Chinese commander to leave. ( The Japanese sent wreatlis to the funeral of Riflemen Howard, Mellon, Delaney and O'Toole at the Bubbling Well cemetery, when a volley was not fired for fear of creating panic in the neigbbourhood. The British authorities asked the Japanese, in view of the circumstances, iiot to send a detachment. The wreaths included one from the "doomed battalion." Thousands of Chinese attended the funeral. Sevon smartly-uniformed Chinese girls carried tbe "dooinod battalion's" standards tbroughout its five-day siege, running the gauntlet at the dead of night with the survivors, who included youths 15 and 16 years of age. Tlie Chinese commander, who was the last to leave, returned to rescue the few men left from the burning building. The party reached safety as the japanese dashed into the ruins. One of the British j ists fired on by tbe Japanese from 500 feet returned the fire with a Lewis gun in acc-ord-ance with instructi'ons.