Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-14
JAPAN EXPRESSES
HER DEEP REGRET
Ambassador Calls on State Off
ciaIs and Matter Believed
Near Adjustment.

Washington, Jan. lf.-Satisfactory as-
s,Irances by the japanese government
that its regrets over the killing of Lie'Iter-
ant W n Tsangdon of the Cruiser Albany
by q Japanese sentry at VladivostOk
would be supplemented by convincing
proof Of its intention 70 make similar inei-
dents improbable, were awaited today by
the State Department.
Confidence that the japanese govern
ment would make adequate reparstion"
for the killing of Lieutenant Langdon
was expressed By the department IN a
note dispatched last night to the Toxic
foreign Office.
Tie text Of message has not been made
public but IL is understood that the state
Department reminded the japanese that
while the shooting of Lieutenant Langdon
was the first instance Of a fatality, there
had been numerous cases Of encounters
between the japanese and American mill
tarv and that reports received here indi-
Gated that in TOO many of them the
japanese appeared 10 have been the
aggressors. The japanese were urged, u
was said, to adopt Immediately such
measures as would prevent further
friction.
Secretary Daniels intiEnated today that
I be might suggest 70 the state Depart
u1ert that the matter Of payment Of an
i indemnity toIieutenant Langdons fam
! ily be taken up with the japanese govern
meut.
Washington. Jan. l4.-While officials
still were pressing their inquiry today con
/ ceruing the fatal shooting by japanese
+ sentry at Nladivostok. of Lieutenant ".
80 ~
stood TO have gone toward promising and
+ eaflv and satisfactory aIustInent Cf the
situation
! In reporting 10 the Navy Department
/ that ne Japanese commanding officer al
+ Vladivcstok. General Oil mad issued strict
/ instructions that hereafter no sentry
should challenge Americans, Admra
+ Gleaves. commander in chief of the AsiatIC
feet informed the department that II
view Of developments ne had abandoned
his plan TO proceed there for an Investigz-
ton at this time.
Ambassador Shidehara, Of Japan, called
upon Acting Secretary Of state DAVIS
late Yesterday and expressed the deer
regret of MS Government that such an
/ incident should have occurred. Earlier
he had received from the japanese For
eign Office a version Of the shooting
which differed from an earlier and equa.
IL official version issued In Toxic, IN
that the Embassy account agreed with
| Lieutenant Langdon antemortem state
ment that the sentry was the first 10 ire
The attitude of the japanese Govern
ment also was Indicated in the eommuni
cation to Admiral Gleaves, which SsiC
that high officials Of the Japanese fore,
had expressed their sorrow and regret
Among those mentioned was Nice-AdmT
II kawahara.
The sentry who shot the American
when he was returning TO his ship wa:
/ characte.i led in the communication for
warded to Admiral Gleaves as ''verl
ignorant. and in one of the message
received By Ambassador Shidehars i
was stated he had been placed under
arrest and would be tried by eourt-mSrtial
Secretary of the Navy Daniels, VII,
had called upon Admiral Gleaves 70
a report, conferred with Secretary Dayi
today In an effort to expedite so far rs
possible the gathering Of the facts il
the case. The latter Immediately instruct
ed Consul McGowan, from whom tn,
first official news of the incident had come
to supplement his report, and declares
that if the facts warranted an immediate
ana energetic protest MOltu DC lllttOe q
Japan Later developments, however
are understood TO have inclined official
TO believe that the situation is inprospeo
of final adjustment.
Following is the dispatch receives
by the Navy Department nom AdmIra
Gleaves
"Strict instructions have been issue,
by General Oi that all commands in
struot sentries not to halt Americans
All Japanese officials of high rank hav
been aboard. They expressed sorrow
and regret and state that the sentr.
who shot Lieutenant Langdon wasver
ignorant General Oi has sent large wreath
''Nice-Admmal kawahara mas sent
telegram from Toxic as follows:
81 am deeply shocked at the news q
Iieutenant Langdon's death by vi
looked-for accident. Please accept m
sincere coRdolences, although no wor
of mine can help | feel for this mos
lamentable occurrence most deepl
sorry"