CO129-497 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 500

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When the first company of soldiers were about opposite the Victoria Hotel the procession stopped and the shouting on the part of the cadets increased; at a moment later there seemed to be disorder among the soldiers, who went out of close order formation and several assumed a firing position on one knee with rifles pointed toward Shameen.

A shot was fired by the Chinese from Shakee and was immediately followed by two other shots. This appeared to us to be the preconcerted signal and was instantly followed by a heavy volley of rifle fire from the Chinese. This heavy firing continued for the space of about one minute, when machine-guns were heared firing from the direction of the French Concession. About this time a few rounds of artillery fire was heard from some ship off the French Bund.

JOHN T. THORNTON, 1st Lieut., U. S. Marine Corps.

H. F. BAUER (Int. Bank, U. S. citizen). T. G. STOKES (Dairy Farm: Australian). F. W. BENDER (Int. Bank: U. S. citizen).

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APPENDIX D.

Dispatch from Sir James Jamieson, British Consul-General at Canton, addressed to the Civil Governor of Canton, in reply to a dispatch from the latter in which it was stated that the firing was commenced by foreign troops in Shameen.

H.B.M. CONSULATE-GENERAL,

CANTON, June 24th, 1925.

To His Excellency the Civil Governor of Kwangtung.

Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of the communication which you have been good enough to address to me on the subject of the shooting which took place in the Shakee Street yesterday afternoon.

I would in the first place point out that in this unfortunate affair the Portuguese gunboat took no part whatsoever: it was the defence forces of the British and French Concessions alone who replied to the attack made on them by Chinese troops or military students on the other side. I can, from the evidence of my own eyes, make a statement on oath that the firing was first started by the Chinese. As it was, the British Senior Naval Officer and myself, who were standing unarmed by the bridge for the special purpose of guarding against any precipitate or nervous action on the part of the defenders, only escaped with our lives out of the hail of bullets which was directed at us. It was only then that in self-defence fire was opened from this side, and by the French forces, which were similarly attacked. Firing from this side ceased even before sniping from the tops of the houses opposite by Chinese soldiers was discontinued.

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