The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-02-23
JAPAN REGRETS
DEATH OF LANCDON
Reply to American Note Is Received
by State Department.
10y Tho Associated Press)

/
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 22.-Regret on
the part of the Japanese government
| over the fatal shooting of Lieut.. w. H.
Langdon, an American naval officer,
at Vladivostok early in January, is
\ reiterated in the reply Of that gov
eminent to the note from the United
States government.
| The hope was expressed by the Jap
, anese government that the govern
ment of the United States will fully
| appreciate the sincere spirit in which
the Japanese government has acted
J in dealing with this most unfortunate
incident"
| The Japanese government informed
the American government that Major
! General NishihaIa, commanding the
| Japanese garrison at Vladivostok, had
been removed from the active list of
the Japanese army and that various
officers under the command of General
Nishihara had been subjected to, pun
ishment Of various degrees.
The state department made public
a paraphrase of the Japanese govern
ment's reply, based on a cablegram
from the American embassy at Toxic,
to whom the communication was de-
| livered yesterday The paraphrase
follows:
"A most thorough and exhaustive
examination was conducted by the
court martial, resulting in the removal
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 misinterpretation of the
| barracks regulations and had thus in
Cured primary responsibility for the
unfortunate incident. He has been
| deprived of the command of the gar
rison and of the rank of brigade COM
mander, which he previously held.
| The barracks officer of the rank of
major has been adJudged guilty of
responsibility in the matter and SEN
| fenced to confinement for 80 days. The
assistant barracks officer and a lieu
tenant have been sentenced to a SINH
lar punishment for a period of 20
days; the company commander has
been sentenced to a lesser period.
| "The commander in chief of the
Japanese expeditionary force in Vlad-
ivostok has paid a visit to the U. S.
cruiser Albany and expressed to the
| commanding officer of the ship his
| 1G6ltl at IlIc ttCulIGIlCG VI the INCL
dent. The sentry who fred the fatal
shot has been held to be excused by
the orders and actions of his superiors
upon whom responsibility has been
squarely placed and who are to be
punished as above stated. The SEN
try, however. was found guilty of de-
ception in his testimony as to the cir
cumstances of the fatality, and for
this has been sentenced to confinement
for 30 days.
I'm addition to the expressions of
regret on the part of the commander
in chief of the Japanese expeditionary
force, the minister for foreign affairs,
in communicating the action of the
court martial. conveys to tho Ameri-
can government the expression of
| deep regret on the part Of the Japa-
nese government at the occurrence of
this sad event and expressed the hope
that the government Of the United
States will fully appreciate the sin
cere spirit in which the Japanese
government has acted in dealing with
this most unfortunate incident"