CANTON OUTBREAK

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 148, 26 June 1925, Page 5

CANTON OUTBREAK

REMARKABLE EXCHANGE

OF.NOTES

FLAT CONTRACTION AS TO FACTS

The recent shooting at Canton ha.3 led to an exchange of ■ Notes between the British Con-sul-General and the Civil Govenor of Canton, diametrically opposite in their statements as to the responsibility for the affair. Even on such a simple fact as whether a warship fired her guns, the Notes are at variance. (Received 26th June, 10 a.m.) HONG KONG, 25th June. The Civil Governor of Canton, in a Note; to the British Consul-General, atat-jr, inter alia, in reference to the recent shooting, that when the procession had almost entirely passed Shake street, soldiers and police from the British Concession suddenly opened fire with ma-chine-guns and rifles on the crowds in j the procession on the other side of the j canal; whereupon the soldiers and police of the French. Concession also fired, while a Portuguese gunboat fired big guns; and over 100 were killed or wounded. -. ■This brutal killing, he.says, was pre-meditated-and secretly planned. When lie was Civil Governor he heard the particulars. He was amazed, and in duty was bound to enter a moat serious protest as well as to state clearly that the entire responsibility for the affair rests upon the jcivil and military officials of the British, French, and Portuguese soldiers, police, and gunboats concerned. The British Consul-General, in reply, points out that the Portuguese gunboat took^no part; it was the defence forces ot the concessions alone who replied to the attack made on them by the Chinese on. the other side of- tha canal. He adds: "I can say, on the evidence of my own eyes, that the firm» was Hrat started by Chinese." He and the senior .-naval 1 officer were present . for the purpose of preventing precipitate action on the part of the defend ers; and he and the naval officer only escaped with their lives from the hail of bullets : directed at them by the Chinese. It was only then, in selfdefence, that fire was opened from the Shameen and by the French forces, which were similarly attacked.- ---_ He repudiates the charge that responsibility rests on the foreigners, and asks the Civil Governor to.take complete measures to safeguard the,lives of tHe Brit ish around Canton.'• . -,'.-