ONLY 3 CIVILIANS KILLED AT NANKING

Manawatu Times, Volume LII, Issue 3576, 6 April 1927, Page 7

ONLY 3 CIVILIANS KILLED AT NANKING

Exaggerated Reports Officially Denied DAMAGE TO PROPERTY INFINITESIMAL [British Official Wireless,] RUGBY, April 4. Sir Austen Chamberlain, Foreign Secretary, in reply to a series of questions on the Chinese situation in tho House of Commons to-day, said that from information, gathered from numerous disinterested Chinese, the general belief among the Chinese was that three Chinese civilians only were killed by the shells fired by the British and American warships at Nanking. It. was impossible to ascertain tho, number of military casualties but these took place solely among tho troops engaged in attacking tho foreigners at the Standard Oil Hill. Chiang Kai-shek had, however, told a number of press correspondents at Shanghai that tho estimated casualties suffered by the Chinese was sis killed and 15 wounded. The ground,within range of thc\flring was entirely open, except for a few foreign owned houses, and tho damage done to the Chinese property was infinitesimal. City Not Set on Fire. No part of tho city was set on fire as tho area where the shelling took place was open agricultural ground. Tho firing continued intermittently for 70 minutes, and in all 76 shells were fired by the British warship Emerald and approximately the same number by the two ' American destroyers. The foreign casualties according to his latest information were as follows; —-British, 3 killed (Dr. Smith, Mr, Huber and the naval seaman Knox); Americans, 1 killed, 1 wounded; had no accurate information about the Japanese casualties, but it was reported that two of three were wounded. Conditions More Normal. The latest report from Nanking was that conditions were becoming more normal in regard to tho Chinese population, but 1 the attitude of the Nationalists towards foreigners and foreign properly was every day becoming increasingly truculent. British steamers leaving the port had been heavily fired on from the waterfront and the looting of foreign houses still- continued. All the foreigners had been brought out of the city. The British Government was in consultation witji the United States Japanese, French and Italian Governments regarding matters connected with the Nanking outrages. The latest reports indicated that the situation in Hankow was easier, but a further crisis was anticipated. Steps were being taken to reduce tho British community to the minimum, and the United States authorities were evacuating their nationals as rapidly aj possible, Britisher's in Interior.

British subjects in tho Interior of China in places where disturbances wore to be anticipated had been advised from time to time ever since November last to withdraw to places of saftey. This advice had been repeated as occasion arose by the British consuls, and had been extended to further districts when necessary. In a continuous process of this nature it was not possible to give a series of exact dates, but on the 26th March tho British consular officers at Ningpo, Swatow, Fpochow, Ching-Kiang, Wuhu, Kiukiang, Hankow, Tunnanfu and Klungchow were warned to be prepared to evacuate the treaty ports if necessary. On 28th March advice was extended to British subjects in the interior of the Tientsin, Chefoo, Tslngtao and Tsinan consular districts, and on the 30 th March to every part of the interior of China.

Chungkiang had been completely exacuated as had also Changsha except for the British consul and the Mother Superior of tho Francissn Mission and the British warship stationed there.

Ichank was to be similarly evacuated at the earliest possible date. Ail British subjects who elected to disregard this repeated advice had been warned that they did so entirely at their own risk and on their own responsibility. Asked as to tho number of British subjects In tire matter of China, Sir Austen Chamberlain replied that he was reluctant to give an estimate because the numbers varied from day to day, but ho thought they numbered not more than 200. Responsibility for Outrages. In regard to the responsibility for outrages at Nanking, tho British Consul-General there stated that the outstanding fact which could be proved beyond question was that tho looting and killing were the work of Hunaneso Nationalists soldiers in uniform. It was an established fact that the foreigners were shot down in cold blood by nationalist soldiers, and it was equally established that practically every foreign house, in- ‘

eluding three consulates ,wa s gutted, and at least eight foreign houses burnt down —all by nationalist soldiers. Looting continued for several days after the 24th March. Sir L. Worthinghton-Evans, Secretary for War, replying to a question about the defence of the French concession at Shanghai, said that this had not been undertaken by the British defence force. In response, however, to an inquiry from the French commander as to whether, if pressed, ho could call for British assistance, General Duncan had informed him that he could op-oper-ate if tho French line were in danger.