the junk were stated to have been tied behind their backs,
most of the men, women and children were killed and other
women ill-treated; and the junk then set on fire and
abandoned.
1060
*he matter was brought semi-officially to the
attention of the Japanese Government on the 17th June and
note was addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on
the 8th July. It was admitted that the details had not been
sifted by a court of enquiry, but it was held that the evi-
dence was sufficiently circumstantial and convincing to
produce a most unfavourable impression. His Majesty's
Ambassador requested that a thorough investigation should
be made and subsequently, on the 31st October, presented
officially a claim for Hongkong # 11,872.50 for damages,
In a note dated the 6th December the Japanese
Minister for Foreign Affairs replied that, while there had
been two or three cases in which Japanese warships had dealt
with armed and hostile-looking junks which had attacked them,
there were no facts corresponding to the statements in His
Najesty's Ambassador's note. Still more was there absolutely
no instance of brutal and inhuman actions such as were des-
cribed in that note.
His Majesty's Government, while taking note of
these remarks, cannot but observe that the evidence submit-
ted by the survivors of the incident is both circumstantial
and reliable. They have, therefore, felt it necessary to
request that further investigation should be made and they
maintain the claim for compensation.
Alv.
Attack on a sampan by a Japanese armed ¿otor Trawler
in British (Hongkong) Territorial faters on the 17th
May, 1958, decapitation of me of the Crew and wound-
ing of others.
n the 17th May, 1958, sampan Nŋ. 2 of Hongkong
/junk