"HIDEOUS PICTURE"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 74, 20 December 1937, Page 7

"HIDEOUS PICTURE"

(British Official Wir'elesa.)

London Times's Comment on Panay Bombing

EUGBY, Dec. 18. In an editorial on its correspondent 's, Mr. C. M. McDonald's dispatch concerning the attack on the Panay, The Times says: "It is a hideous picture only redeemed by the cool courage of the wounded officers and the gallantry of the crew of the small, stricken ship. The attack was executed in cold blood. The Panay was flying the American flag, and even if the pilot of the lirst Japanese aeroplane that attaclced her did not see her distinguishing marks there can be no exeuse for the subsequent aerial attacks with bombs and machine-guns, and, above all, for the behaviour of the crew of tlie Japanese Army launcli. "Americ will not lightly brook this outrage on her flag and her nationals, and Italy — to one of wliose nationals Japanese bullets brought the agony of death — may now find it hard to regard the affai r with that tolerant fatalism which she was ready to display earlier in the week. "The sinking of the Panay leaves a dark stain on the honouor and humanIty of the Japanese fighting forces and illustrates only too elearly tho failure of the liigli command and the Government of Japan to do their duty to their Emperor by restrair.ing their subaltern officers from committing the wanton and sliameless provocation of a friendN Power."