The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-02-23
JAPANESE REGRETS
SENT TO wASH'T0
SENTRY FOUND TO BE EX-
CUSED ON ACCOUNT OF MIS-
INTERPRETATION OF REGU-
LATIONS BY HIS SUPERIORS
BUT GUILTY OF DECEPTION
IN HIS TESTIMONY

IN HIS TESTIMONY
Washington, Feb. 22.-Regret on
the part of the japanese govern
ment over the fatal s. hooting of
Lieut.. w. H. Langdon, an American
naval officer, at Vladivostok early
in January is reiterated in the reply
Of that government to the note from
the United States government.
The hope was expressed by the
japanese government "that the gov
ernment of the United States will
fully appreciate the sincere spirit in
which the Japanese government has
acted in dealing with this most un-
fortunate incident"
The Japanese government inform
ed the American government that
Major General Nishihara, command
ing the japanese garrison at Vladi-
Vostok had been removed from the
active list of the japanese army and
that various officers under the COM
mand of General Nishihara had been
subjected to punishment of various
degrees.
The state department made public
a paraphrase of the Japanese gov
'ernment's reply, based on a cable
gram from the American embassy
at Tokyo, to whom the communica-
ton was delivered yesterday. The
paraphrase follows:
"a most thorough and exhaustive
examination was conducted by the
courtmartial resulting in the" re-
moval from the active list of the
japanese army of Major General
Nishihara commanding the japanese
garrison at Vladivostok. The court
martial held that General Nishihara
had been guilty of a misinterpreta-
tion of the barracks regulations and
had thus incurred primary rasponsi-
bility for the unfortunate incident.
He has been deprived of the COM
mand of the garrison and of the
rank of brigadier commander which
he previously held. The barracks Of
ficer of the rank of major has been
adjudged guilty of responsibility of
the matter and sentenced to confne-.
ment for 80 days. The assistant bar
racks officer and a lieutenant have
both been sentenced to a similar.
punishment for period of 20 days;
the company commander has been
sentenced to a lesser period.
"The commander-in-chief of the.
japanese expeditionary force in
Vladivostok has paid visit to the
United States cruiser Albany and
expressed to the commanding Off
Ger of the ship his regret at the oc-
currence of the incident. The SEN
try who fired the fatal shot has
been held to be excused by the or
ders and actions of his superiors
upon whom responsibility has been
squarely placed and who are to be
punished Vas above stated. The SEN
try, however, was found guilty of
deception in his testimony as to the
circumstances of the fatality and
for this has been sentenced to con-
finement for 80 days.
In addition to the expressions of
regret on the part of the COM
mander in-chief of the japanese ex-
peditionary force, the minister of
foreign affairs in communicating the
action of the courtmatrtial conveys
to the American government the ex-
preston of deep regret on the part
of the japanese government at the
occurrence of this sad event and ex-
pressed the hope that the govern
ment of the United States will fully
appreciate the sincere spirit in
which the japanese government has
acted in dealing with this most un-
fortunoto incident