CO129-578-12 Sino-Japanese War- attacks on shipping 10-1-1939 - 17-11-1939 — Page 106

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