The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-17
j. .S.-JAPANESE
ISSUES CLEARED
Polk Says All Questions Now
in Dispute Can Be Ami
cably Settled.
CRUELTY REPORT DENIED
Position of Gen. Graves De-
fined-Tientsin Clash Ex
plained in Toxic.
REPORT DENIED
Special Desposch 10 TIE Sun.


WAsHINGToN, April 1s.-Acting Sec
retary of State Polk issued a statement
to-day that pending questions between
the United States and Japan were not OF
serious nature and that an amicable
adjustment would be reached. The
statement referred to the pending ques-
tions as minor issues.
One Of the questions Is the refusal Of
Major-Gen. Graves in command OF the
American troops to assist tho Japanese
forces in recent fighting. The other
question Is the clash between Americans
and Japanese in Tieptsin. An official
report Of the Japanese statement on the
clash reached Washington to-day.
During the afternoon Acting Secre-
tary OF War Crowell issued an official
denial OF a published report that Gen.
Graves had cabled that the reason he
did not assist the Japanese was because
the latter had killed women and chill
dren. 1t developed later upon invesuga-
ton that this report may have been due
to the fact that some of the troops un-
der Gen. Horvath, one OF the Russian
factional leaders. had been guilty OF
brutality toward women. Reports to
this effect have been received here. but
no such charges have been made against
the Japanese. It was stated emphau-
cally.
L. =. Men Protect Railway.
Regarding the reason for Gen. Graves's
refusal to assist the Japanese at Haba-
rovsk, 1t was learned that the American
l Nan h Ntyler
ton not TO interfere I'm factional fights in
Russia, and that the forces against
which the Japanese Intended TO proceed
belonged to one faction OF Russians
which was opposing another. Gen.
Graves was acting under orders to pro
tect the railway" which runs through
Habarovsk
The Japanese commander construed
his orders 20 mean restoring order" on
the theory that disorder menaced the
railway There was. however. differ
epce Of Interpretation between the Amer
lean and Japanese officers when 1t came
TO deciding whether the attack proposed
by the japanese 10 put down disorder
should be participated In by the Ameri-
cans.
This did not mean that the American
troops sat calmly by and watched the
japanese force become annthilated. II 10
explained. The Japanese force upon not
receiving American aid marched Off In
the direction of Skramrefskoe. the Amer
| leans remaining behind.
Report on Tientsin Clash.
The japanese statement on the clash
at Tientsin follows:
/ "At s p. NJ on the nth instant, three
drunken American soldiers came into
conflict with some Japanese which re-
suited In f1ve Japanese and two Ameri
can soldiers being wounded, as well as
two Chinese policemen OF the Japanese
concession, and one member Of the
American Military Police. Four Ameri-
can soldiers were arrested and taken TO
the Japanese police station and upon
demand OF the American authorities they
were Immediately turned over to them.
Some of the American soldiers mis-
understood the nature OF the disturbance
believing that they had been assaulted
! by Japanese civilians. This seems to
/ have infiamed the Americans and TO have
melted them TO take revenge. IRE
! spective OF the fact that an order had
! been issued by the American command
! ing officer forbiddng American soldiers
| to enter the Japanese concession. and In
| spite Of the fact that American military
police had been placed in several places
in the French concession not far from
the boundary between that concession
and the Japanese. American soldiers
somehow found their way into the Japa-
nese concession"
Attacks on individuals.
The report cites a number of alleged
attacks on individual Japanese In great
detail declaring that all took place in
the Japanese concession and added:
1.-THE Americans insist that the dis
turbances started IN the French conces-
sion. but actually there was no fighting
at the beginning. The fact Is that the
Japanese we're unexpectedly attacked
first In the Japanese concession and
stterward In the Kuang Ming Theatre,
from which many Japanese came unsus-
pecting that Americans were awaiting
them.
Previous 10 this the Japanese troops,
| informed of the misbehavior of the
| American troops In the japanese con-
cession. and fearing danger for the
\ Continued on Third Paps.