SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1938.5
BRUTAL ATTACK ON JUNK
RY WAGLAN ISLAND
HONGKONG
RESIDENTS
WATCH FROM SHORE
JAPANESE DESTROYER SETS FIRE TO FISHING CRAFT
LANDING NEAR WAILOY
Hongkong residents last night watched a brutal attack on a Chinese fishing junk by a Japanese destroyer on the fringe of British waters just off Waglan. Marines poured petrol over the vessel and set it alight with the crew on board.
A Japanese landing attempt near Wailoy in eastern Kwangtung, which was assisted by a barrage of gunfire from two Japanese cruisers, was repulsed by Chinese defenders.
Apparently acting on Prince Konoye's hint that the Peiping Government is allowed to negotiate with the Central Government for peace, Mr. Wang Keh-min in a broadcast in Peiping made an earnest appeal for peace. He said: "I am sure China and Japan have no grudge which it is impossible to settle."
Yingtak, Fayuan and other stations on the Canton-Hankow Railway were bombed yesterday by Japanese planes.
A densely populated sector of Foochow was raided on Thursday by Japanese planes, with civilian casualties. One primary school, the offices of a vernacular newspaper and fifty other houses were demolished.
Within sight of Hongkong and on the fringe of British waters,
a
giving a total strength of 44 stretched along the Kwangtung coast.
patrol
Japanese destroyer set alight a A misadventure overtook one of the large Chinese junk last night, kill- myriad of steam launches that are ing most of the crew. The incident generally on the move on was witnessed by many residents of duty while the warships lie at anchor. the eastern section of the island, For the protection of San Cho Island, who watched it through telescopes.
which is in Chungshan, mines had The destroyer intercepted a fleet been laid, and this launch of fishing junks heading for Hong one of them at 4 o'clock yesterday ran into kong about a mile from Wagian at morning-nine
men being killed. 6 p.m. and sent out a pinnace con- Unaware of the cause of the loud ex- taining armed marines who boarded plosion, searchlights were one of the junks, a big craft estim- turned on every destroyer, and ated to be carrying about 20 Chin- they swept the surface of the ocean ese. After searching the junk the machine-guns marines returned to the warship and took some time to determine the real away. It then went back to the junk carry- cause of the commotion.-Our Own ing two barrels, apparently of petrol Correspondent. or kerosene, which were poured over the junk. It was then set alight with the crew aboard.
Watchers on the shore declared they saw some of the crew take to a small boat but declare that most of those. on board must have been burned to death.
The junk was still burning at 8 o'clock.
Smoke was seen on the horizon earlier in the afternoon and it is believed it came from another junk which had been similarly dealt with.
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