San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-06
AIM
CRITICISM At
VISITORS
Shooting Of Italian Gives
Press Occasion to
Score Whites.
By LUTHER A. HOUSTON

IOhlO. Dec o. 1urOre OF crit
icism OF the conduct of foreigners in
Toxic has arisen in the wake Of a sensa'
fional shooting affair in which U,
Ricci. q middle-aged Italian, was dan
-serously wounded by Miss Aiko Flu
lHya, .16-year-old japanese girl,
Ricci is now recovering from his
wounds in Toxic hospital and Miss
Fukaya is awaiting trial on & charge
Of attempted homicide.
The shooting occurred IN the early
morning hours in a compound owned
by the italian embassy where Ricci
dwelt in q building that was once
used as q stable when the compound
housed the Austrian embassay in pre-
war days. According 10 the police,
Miss Fukaya alleged that she shot
Ricci when he refused to give back TO
her q ring valued at $500, which he
had received from her mother under a
promise to sell it. Ricci denies that
the ring belonged to Miss Fukaya's
mother.
As an aftermath OF the shooting
charges have been made that Ricci
had taken advantage of certain privi-
leges granted him by the Italian en-
bassy to import jewelry and wines
without payment of duty which he
sold AT handsome profit.
CALLED HIM MARQUIS
Before the earthquake Of 1923. Rio
q was an importer OF wines and jew
clry with a prosperous business. The
earthquake wiped him out and he was
given sanctuary in the Italian embassy
grounds and permitted to occupy an
outbuilding as his office and home.
Tall and distinguished looking, Ricci
was a familiar figure in hotels and
cafes in Toxic where pleasure-seeking
Japanes and foreigners congregate. 1t
is said that he went by the title Of
marquis in certain circles where he
was DESTROYS Of creating a favorable
impression.
Miss Kukaya is the daughter of a
Japanese woman who was divorced by
her first husband, a member of the
diplomatic service. and who afterward
married a rear admiral in the Japa-
nese navy. She has been separated
from her second husband for some
time. Miss Fukaya and her mother
had lived abroad, in England and the
United States, and by preference
dressed. lived and sought their amuse-
ments in foreign fashion rather thal
the native japanese style. They were
often seen at public amusement places,
almost always accompanied BY foreign
men.
FOREIGNERS SCORED.
When the shooting of Ricci by Miss
Fukaya became known, japanese
newspapers Immediately gave the
story great prominence. Many news
papers made it the occasion for az
facks upon the morals OF foreign resi-
dents Of Toxic.
They charged that the alleged per-
nicious influence Of foreigners was
undermining the moral standards of
the youth Of Japan and bringing about
great disrespect for wOmanhood. Men
from other lands, they charged, re-
garded Japanese women as their legi-
innate prey while certain type Of
japanese women, their heads turned
BY the attention paid them by foreign
ers. were easily led astray.
Efforts of English language news
papers and a few Of the saner Japa-
nese journals TO point out that it is
unfair to judge all foreigners resident
in Toxic by the conduct Of few, ami
10 call attention to the impossibility
Of a few thousand foreigners corrupt
ing the morals Of 2.00O,0O0 TOkiOites
simply added fresh fuel to the contro-
versy.
INDIVIDUALS ATTACKED.
Neither did it avail much to cite
the existence Of the "Yoshiwara," To
kos famous licensed quarter, or Of
the thousands Of geisha establishments
throughout the city, as an indication
that perhaps the moral standards OF
Toxic had been none too high before
the foreigners came.
In the course Of all this discussion
the names Of several foreigners Of
prominence were openly printed in the
Japanese press and the charge laic
against them that they had frequented
questionable resorts in company with
notorious Japanese women. II was
also broadly limited that several we'll
known members Of the foreign COM
rnunity would be questioned by the
police in their investigation Of charges
that Ricci had been guilty Of Illegal
importation Of wines and jewelry. The
further charge was made that the pO-
lice lad compiled q blacklist Of un
desirable foreigners and were keeping
those whose names appeared on the
list under close surveillance. These
charges. however. are eategorically de-
MED by police officials.