WOUNDING OF AMBASSADOR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 231, 30 August 1937, Page 7

WOUNDING OF AMBASSADOR

"INCIDENT INEXCUSABLE”

(United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

Received Augufet 30, 9.15 a.m

LONDON, Aug. 29,

The official British Note to Japan requests a formal apology for the incident of last week in. which Sir Hughe Enatchbull-Hugessen, British Ambassador, was wounded, also suitable punishment for the culprits, and an assurance against a recurrence of similar incidents.

The Note, after recounting the facts of the shooting, states: The British Government have received with deep distress and concern the hews of this deplorable event, in respect of which they must record an emphatic protest and request full redress.

It adds that the facts make it clear that it was not an accident resulting from a normal hostile operation, and it should have been obvious to the aircraft that they were dealing with non-combatants. “The pleq, if it. is made, that.the flags carried were over-small to be visible is irrelevant,” continues the Note, “and the attack was unjustifiable even if the car carried no flags at all.

“The real issue is that the occupants of the car were noncombatants. The aircraft doubtless did not intend to attack the Ambassador as such, though apparently they did intend to attack non-combatants which, in itself, is illegal. The fact that no actual state of war had been declared, or been expressly recognised by either party to exist, emphasises the inexcusable nature of the occurrence. ’