The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-10
AMERICAN CONSUL
 INSULTED BY JAPS Encounter Occurs Between Ser wants and Japanese Police INVESTIGATION IS ORDERED No Official Report Has Been Made of the Trouble, But Consul General
 Kato Is Looking Into the
 Matter Carefully.
INVESTIGATION IS ORDERED

Pekin, April 9.-The American legation here has received no information regard ing the invasion of the American con- sulate at Mukden by Japanese and the result of the encounter between Japan ese and native staff. The Japanese lega- tion also was questioned and partial yer iheation was obtained together with ex- pressions of regret that such "a small matter" should have been cabled to the United States An official of the Japan- ese legation quoted Japanese newspaper here in Mukden as saying that Willard D. Straight. the American consul general there, was an exetable man. giving to ex- aggeratns trihes and difficult to deal with. Otherwise the legation minimized the occurrence and deplored it.
 A court of inqniry has been ordered by M. Kato, the Japanese consul general al Mukden. and a full report will not be submitted to either Washington or Pekin pending the report of this court.
 A detailed account of the incident has been obtained from an authoritative source. This shows that the conduct of M. Kato in the beginning might be de- seribed as extraordinary-it is even said that he was insolent When the matter was brought to his attention he offered no apology nor did he express regret and he asked MT Straight to prove his own statements as against the verbal declarations of the Japanese involved. This MT. Straight declined to do but he per- mitted a Japanese official to conduct an investigations
 The allegation that NJ. Kato showed lack of consideration in his relations with the American consul general has created a bad impression here. MT. Straight twice made formal representa- tion of the seriousness of invading a con sulate protected by the flag and dragging the servant of the consulate out into the highway. At the second presentation MT. Kato's response was more cordial but he sought to discredit MT. Straights pro- test by the declaration of a postman that the staff of the consulate had attacked him.
 The postman was bringing letter to the consulate. Unfortunately he sought to retire by a private door which was barred and encountered the Chinese ser- wants of the consulate. At this point Ar. Straight intervened and conducted the postman to the main entrance. The post man went away to return in a short while with the Japanese who made the attack The consulate servants, armed with sticks, offered resistance. The postman in the course of the seuffling entered MT. Straights bed room and bit one of his personal servants in the face. While this was going on the postman's accomplices had been captured by the three other ser wants The postman made a1 attempt to call in endorsements but in this he was not successful
 In the meantime the Chinese police had arrived on the scene and the invading Japanese were arrested The police were of not much use, for MT. Straight found it necessary personally to guard the pris- oner with a firearm in his hand and thus convey them before M Kato.
 Persons who witnessed the encounter say the postman was at the head of his four or five countrymen who created the disturbance, and that during the row a number of disreputable Japanese gathered in the street and menaced the consulate. M. Kato was in bed when MT. Straight and his prisoners arrived at the consulate. and this fact may possibly explain his apathy in the matter. The Japanese po- lice made no response to MT. Straight's appeals for aid. The Chinese authorities in Mulkden are thoroughly intimidated by the Japanese and the Chinese invariably flee from any difficulty that promises trouble with a foreigner.
 Satisfaction is expressed in Pe<in that the outrage was not actually committed upon the person of the American consul general.