Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-01-27
NAVY BOARD PUTS
BLAME FOR LANoD0N
DEATH ON JAP GUARD
KILLED BY SENTRY
WAS NOT IN VIOLATION OF
ANY RULES WHEN SHOT DOWN
JAPANESE DIET EXPRESSES
REGRET.

Washington, Jan, 27.--Licut W IT,
Langdon Of The United States cruiser
Albany, who was shot and killed by a
japanese sentry at V!2diycstok. was
the victim OF an ''unwaIrantcd al
tack"
This was the verdict of the United
State naval court Of inquiry whose
report on its investigation Of the
shooting was received by the navy de
partment and made public last uigh.
Lieut. Langdon was blameless the
court OF inquiry found. The evidence
also substantiated the dead officer :
ante.mOrtem statement that the Japa.
nese sentry fired the first shot.
The report on the findings OF III
court of inquiry came to SecretWf OF
the Navy Daniels from Admiral
GleaVes, commander in chief OF the
Asiatic fleet, at the same time the
state department was getting the Ja".
anese governments official acknoWl-
cdgmcnt Of its protest against the
killing of Langd0n
1t has been known the state depart
ment was going to insist upon Japan
making amends for the ahOotin-.
Within the department there has hecI
an unconcealed determination to force
the japanese government to explain
by what right they maintain 0cntrjcs
in the streets of Vlaliyostok TO chal
lenge Americans.
Such a demand ON the part CT the
American government was in fash
ion anticiuate1 b. the order Of Gen
OF, setting forth the Nladiyost9k sit
uation in detail and di5Claimiug amy
intention OF assuming such powers inf
the Siberian port Admiral GItaEcs
report yesterday touched on that
point as follows,
Following order has been issued
by Gen. OF:
NO regulation has been issued
authorizing japanese sentres to hal.
paSsersby of any nationality in tn
streets of Vladyostok Cases ia
which the sentries themselves nr
properties under their guard are at
tackled, or subjected to actual DANCE.
are tho only exception.
"All division staff officers have been
warned by Gen. OF to see that their
sentries are instructed TO use greater
precautions in order to prevent th"
repetition OF any such regrettablo oc.
currenCe as the L2nGdon affair
Nippons Express Regret,
Toxic Jan 27-Ministcr Of War
Tanaka. replying in the diet ycSter-
day to an Interpolation by Repre-. .
sentative Kotaro MoohiZuki Of tur.
opposition party regarding the recent /
killing Of Lieut.. angdon in Eladiyos- /
rok, said the incident was reGrettabio|
in view of the TACT that it occurred /.
between American and japanese nal
tionals at a time when the two peO-t
pies were endeayoring to establish a
closer mutual understanding. tn"
matter still is being investigated by a
Japanese coIrt-martial he added
Minister Tanaka said that, judging
from the results Of the investigation
as far as ii had gone, il appeared
probable the japanese sentry was the
first to shoot. II this was SO, the war
minister continued. the only factor
remaining to be decided was whether
the sentry was subjected to such 4
serious menace as to justify his aC
tion.
The unusual hour a. which the
American officer appeared on the
street armed with a pocket lamp
might have multiplied the possibli-|
ties Of a misunderstanding, Minister
Tanaka said,