Evening star., 1927-03-28
RESTRAINT PRAISED
|NNANK|NG ATTACK
Fire of U. S. Warships Delay
ed Until Last Possible
Minute.
nv tha a.s,c;a.ad prcss

States destroyer Noa was the first of
the foreign forces to get ashore Thurs
day afternoon to rescue the be
leaguered foreigners on Socony Hill In
Nanking, it was learned last night on
the arrival here OF the u. S. destroyer
William r. Preston.
Another party of 40 bluejackets
from the Preston and landing party
from the British cruiser Emerald fol-
lowed closely on the heels OF the Noa
detachment.
The Preston's arrival in Shanghai
permitted the first detailed account Of
the share played by the United States
naval forces In the Nanking clash.
The story, as CLEANED from the par
ticipants, was one of restraint, COM
bined with duty bravely performed
and the showing of force only in the
face of the most compelling necessity
to save lives.
Ail-Day Fire Ignored.
IT was related how the Preston and
Noa suffered fire all day long from
the Cantonese ashore, but made no
reply, being unwilling to risk the pos
sible slaughter by rioters OF the Amer
leans cooped up in the city. Consul
J. X Davis, who finally escaped from
the city after narrowing adventures.
withheld O. request for the ships bar
rage until the death of the Socony
Hill party was imminent, rather than
risk a bombardment which would pro-
woke reprisals against other Ameri-
cans still at the University of Nan
king far distant from the warships'
help.
The story left no doubt that Amer
ican blue ejackets had participated fully
in Thursdays landing as well as firing
the first shots in the preceding bonn
bardment The Preston and Noa
each landed 40 men. Lieut.. B. f,
Staud, commanding the Noa detach-
ment, and Lieut.. j. A. Quellet and
Ensign E. M. Ellis the Preston men.
The Noa's detachment was first
ashore, at o'clock, closely followed
by the landing party of the Preston
and the Emerald. The British force
consisted of 100 men.
Ashore More Than Three Hours.
The entire landing party, under the
command of a British officer, made
q wide circuit to the city wall, arriv.
ing too late to aid the Socony Hill
refugees, who already had escaped,
but returning to the water front in
time to assist in the escape of British
employees of the post office who had
reached the river. The landing party
was ashore for two hours and 20
minutes.
The Preston brought details of the
naval guard, which played a heroic
part in the rescue of the party at the
United States consulate This guard
consisted of 20 bluejackets, 8 from
the Noa and II from the Preston, in
command of Ensign w. Phelps, son
Of Rear Admiral w. w. Phelps for.
mer commander of the Yangtze pa.
troll.
Two signalers from the Preston
played notable roles in the rescue,
they were Fl. o. Warren and d. D.
Taylor, who maintained communica-
ton from Socony Hill with the war.
ships, semaphoring- throughout the
cantonese attack from an exposed
| balcony. where they were constantly
under heavy fire.
Finally, under orders from Consul
Davis, they gave the begin firing
signals by flag and rocket and then
stuck to their posts until all of the
party had escaped.
Final Signal Given.
1--WE are leaving now, shoot a lit.
tie more to the left" was the final
signal given by Warren, who brought
up the rear.
Others of the Preston's detachment
| were 0. T. Engh, L. r. Christensen,
). e. Moran, j. S. Olejinizak, j. s.
Oisei, RI. Metana and K. E. Manner.
AS told by eye-witnesses, the war.
ships in the Yangtze off Marking be.
came a target for incessant firing by
Nationalists soldiers at daylight on
Thursday as soon rs the Cantonese
arrived In the city. The soldiers
would kneel on the open shore and
deliberately aim and fire, apparently
| emboldened by the ships silence. The
sniping continued until the eventual
bombardment, making it necessary to
keep refugees who were CONSTANT
| arriving below decks.
The signals on Socony Hill were
watched anxiousiy until $3.50 O'clock
| in the afternoon, when the Noa caught
the begin firing" signal and opened
up with her 4-inch guns. The barrage
was effective Immediately, not merely
In repulsing the Socony Hill attack.
ers, but throughout the city. Bugles
| were heard throughout Nankine call
ing off the soldiers and stopping the
looting and outrages. Later posters
| appeared on the walls proclaininp
that looters would be decapitated.
Anxious Time on Hill.
The foreign refugees on Socony Hill
| had an anxious time throughout
Thursday, the Preston's men declared
| After arriving at Socony Hill from the
consulate, the party was besieged by
| groups Of soldiers who came sue
| cessively with various demands.
The first group was satisfied with
| rice and tea, the second had to be
| bought off with money, the third took
| all the mems money and jewelry
! even spectacles; the fourth was brib
ed with six automatic pistols and the
| fifth said they did not want money
but wanted to kill the foreigners.
| 1t was then that Consul Davis call.
ed upon the bluejackets, who hither
| TO had been kept in the BACKGROUND
to avoid melting the Nationalists, to
use their rifles and the sailors replied
effectively to a heavy Nationalist fire
| After the barrage from the ships
which meanwhile had been notified by
the signalers, the party fled to the
city wall. where it was found thai
ropes previously prepared for such a
contingency had been cut by soldiers
Electric wiring torn from Socony
House and sheets and curtains were
used to improvise ropes to scale the
wall.
Chinese Casualties High.
Foreign eye-witnesses of the bar
rage fire by the war vessels variousl,
estimated that the Chinese casualties
were from 40 to 100 In both killed anc
| wounded.
Thursday night the war vessels
played their searchlights on the shore
continuing this all night In the hope