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57
abandoned the search. She returned to her base at 8 p.m.
It never occurred to the Japanese side that there
were women and children among the crews of the junks
at the time. Survivors were seen to be taking refuge on
rafts or on sails (but no women or children were seen among
them), and it was concluded that they were rescued by the
two junks which were allowed to go free.
Further, the Commander of the patrol vessel in question
did not, for the reasons given above, regard these junks
as being engaged in the peaceful occupation of fishing
but concluded that they were either pirate ships or armed
sea-going junks attempting to run the blockade.
Notes.
1.
2.
3.
12th April, 1938.
The fact that large armed junks attacked our side.
The fact that the area in question has frequently in the
past been the scene of attacks on merchant vessels by
pirates to suppress whom both the Japanese and the
British Navies have taken action.
The fact that there are in this area a great number of
large junks fitted with five to ten centimetre guns of
old type and armed with rifles and revolvers, and that
these armed junks attempt to run the Japanese blockade
carrying full cargoes. A considerable number of such
junks have been searched by our side. (The weapons
impounded by our side during the search of these junks
include large numbers of old guns, rifles and ammunition
and revolvers, and this fact constitutes clear evidence).
4. There have already been the following several cases in
the