Evening star., 1925-06-26
BLAMED ON CHINESE.
Shooting In Canton Declared Started
by Natives.

HONGKONG, June 26 P.-Dr. AL
exander Baxter, vice president of Can
ton Christian College, today corrected
statements issued by a faculty and
student committee of the college in
which it was reported that investiga-
ton showed foreigners at Shameen
opened fire upon Chinese in procession
on June %. Il have personally gath,
cred informat ton which entirely salts
fed me firing started from the Chinese
side" said DIR. Baxter.
The Hongkong Telegraph today re-
printed from the Canton Gazette a Sc
ries of depositions attributed to Ameri-
can members of the Canton Christian n
College faculty relating TO the firing
upon Chinese in a procession opposite
the foreign settlement on June 8.
In a statement furnished to Reu-
ter's News Agency and signed in the
presence of the British colonial secre-
tary, the assistant colonial secretary
and the vice chancellor of the college,
it said, Alexander Baxter, vice presi-
dent, said:
II am the vice president Of Canton
Christian College. On Tuesday eve
ming students and members of the
staff returned from the neighborhood
of Shameen tthe foreign settlement),
carrying with them blood.stained
clothes. They represented to me that
a procession in which they took part,
upon from Shameen, without any dr-
ing from the Chinese side. This state
ment was corroborated by some of our
most responsible Chinese teachers,
who had been present.
DIR. j. NJ. Henry, who is president
of the college, and / attempted to
reach Shameen to fnd out how mat
ters stood, but we were unable to OBJ
tain launch or boat.
1.-The council then sent some five Sc
nior teachers. who had not been in the
procession, to make further investiga-
ton and report on the number of
killed and injured.
when the investigators returned,
the president and 1 called a meeting
of the council, consisting of five Chi
nese. four Americans and myself
Messengers who returned corroborat-
ed every detail of the previous report.
''As a result Of further discussion
In the council. committee of Chinese,
with the president of the college and
myself, were pressed to issue a state
ment. This statement was printed in
Chinese and signed by DR.. Henry, my
self and the Chinese, as representing
the Canton Christian College. This
matter was arranged at midnight on
june 20 ana nave not seen the QOCu-
ment since. Therefore, l am unable
to say whether the translation ap-
pearing in the Hongkong Telegraph
on June &c is a correct one
Drafting of the statement was done
in Chinese by Chinese, who informed
DR.. Henry and myself of the contents
Other Americans present left in the
meantime and no member of the for
eign staff other than DIR. Henry and
myself knew what was in the docu-
ment.
Il left the college at 9 o'clock in
the morning and was unaware wheth-
er or not the document was signed by
others later. l was not aware that
the document was addressed to the
American Government or the American
people. nor that it purported to have
been adopted by II American stan
members of the Canton Christian Col
lege.
When I signed the document 1 had
no information whatever as to its
correctness. other than statements of
Chinese members of the college, who
had been In the procession and the
reports sent out by messengers.
"Since the time when 1 signed the
document I have personally gathered
information from eyewitnesses which
entirely satisfied mo that firing was
started from the Chinese side.
"At the same time I am of the