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it clear by their actions and vociferations that they were imbued with a spirit of hostility. What actually happened was this:
On the morning of the 23rd, between 20,000 and 30.000 demonstrators assembled on the East Parade Ground, and, after listening to various speeches, formed procession. The workmen's guilds came first, then followed the schools, boys and girls. Next came students of the Canton Christian College and some boy scouts. The military section, which brought up the rear, consisted of from 2,000 to 3,000 Red troops under the command of Russian officers. All were fully armed, and many marched with fixed bayonets. At 11 a.m.. two motor-cars passed along the front of Shameen (Shakee Street) distributing leaflets of a violently inflammatory character. These leaflets urged the public to rise up and eject the foreigner. By about 2.30 p.m. the long procession had reached the vicinity of the East (French) bridge. The only persons near the West (British) bridge were the British Consul-General, the Senior Naval Officer, the Superintendent of Shameen Police and some Naval Officers and Chinese Police. The first part of the procession, about three-quarters of it, marched along in an orderly manner. In fact there were no signs of disturbance until the arrival of the armed contingent, which was separated from the procession by a gap of probably 100 yards. The students and boy scouts were very enthusiastic, all waving flags and banners and shouting at the few spectators in Shameen. The soldiers, who were led by mounted officers, halted at a point about 50 yards on the east side of the British bridge; the procession proper had reached and passed the bridge and was out of the angle of subsequent fire. Immediately the solders assumed open formation the procession began to scatter with considerable confusion, and there was a mixture of soldiers and civilians, including for a few minutes some girl students. Suddenly a shot
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was fired on the Chinese side. This was followed by two other shots, and instantly a heavy volley of rifle fire was directed on to Shameen. At the same time Chinese machine gunners and snipers, who had been placed beforehand in houses along Shakee Street, joined in the shooting. The fire was not returned at once by Shameen, for the Volunteers were not loaded and the Regulars had not received orders to fire. As a matter of fact, no order to fire was ever given. But when the post of regulars nearest the Consul-General and Senior Naval Officer saw that the party was under fire, they replied, and the other posts took up the challenge. There were in all four Lewis gun posts in the British Concession. The fire, as long as it lasted, was directed entirely at the attacking party. The civilians who were hit were too bewildered to realise what was happening and get away. The firing was stopped by the Senior Naval Officer immediately he reached the first post, and at the other posts as soon as he could get his orders to them. Indeed, it was in carrying these orders that Petty Officer Chalmers of the Royal Navy was wounded in both hands. A French gunboat anchored off the French Bund fired a few rounds of blank ammunition. It was obvious that shells were not used: the effect of a shell in crowded Canton city would afford more tangible evidence for the Commissioners to work upon than all the unconvincing depositions they have been able to collect and print. The Chinese snipers on the mainland were very persistent for an hour or more after Shameen had ceased. In corroboration of this account, see the statements, most of them of eye- witnesses, printed as Appendices C. to L.
The Commissioners say nothing about the casualties in Shameen. There were nine. Monsieur Pasquier was killed almost immediately the Chinese began to fire, by a machine- gun bullet which hit him in the head and passed downwards.
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