Evening star., 1927-05-08
CONSUL DESCRIBES
NANKING OUTRAGE
Detailed Official Report OF
Bombardment Is Made
by John K. Davis.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
detailed mailed report from Con
sui John X. Davis on the Nanking
outrages of March "a was made pub
lie last night by the State Department
but it only amplified cabled accounts
# the attacks on Americans and other
foreigners by Chinese Nationalist
troops already received.
The report dated March 2S, leaves
no doubt, so far as the evidence
available to Davis is concerned, that
Nationalist troops alone took part
in the attacks and that the curtain
of shellfire laid down by American
and British guns was the only thing
that saved 80 Americans and other
foreigners from death in the attack
on the standard Oil Co. house.
173 Sent to Ships.
Davis begins his account with the
approach of the Nationalist army on
March 20 and the retreat of the
northern troops out of the city, at
which time there was some disorder
and looting, but no anti-foreign at
tacks.
Bv his advice and with the aid of
American commercial residents of the
city. 104 American women and 60
ships that day. leaving in the city
only 6S men and 10 women who, with
their 19 children, had refused to leave.
The story then reeounts the arrival
of Nationalist troops IN d'le city, the
beginning of attacks on the British
and Japanese conSulateS nd on
American missionary posts and the
final evacuation by Davis and the
Americans concentrated in the con-
Sulate compound to the Standard Oil
60. house near the wall. The trip
was made under fire of soldiery in
the streets all the way and one Ameri-
can bluejac1et was wounded, but later
was brought in by friendly Chinese.
Escaped Over Wall.
In the hours which followed Davis
withheld his assent 10. returning the
fire of the Chinese soldiers until the
house was being raked by bullets.
Then he gave the word that brought
the shell barrage from the ships, fall
ing around three sides of the house,
hut leaving the fourth side free for
the escape by improvised ropes over
the wall to the watersjde, where the
British destroyer Wooisey steamed in
close TO pick them up. Wounded men
and an injury to E. T. Hobart, man
ager of the oil company plant, ham
pered the withdrawal, Davis said, but
there were no further casualties.
Telling of subsequent events when
the naval commanders, headed by
Rear Admiral Hough of the American
forces, whose ship had arrived after
the bombardment, Davis told OF the
''impertinent" rejoinder made by the
Chinese. commander Chen Chen, TO
the first demand made for the safe
evacuation of the remaining foreign
ers in the city. Chen refused to ne
gotiate,s saying the question. would
have to be taken up automatically.
New Demand. Was Made.
A reiterated demand resulted in the
eventual rescue of all remaining for
eigners without actual resort TO FUR
ther eunfire. Davis transmitted. how
ever, a translation of a letter received
bv Admiral Hough from Chen IN part
as follows:
"When our army this morning took
Nanking there was small number
of enemy troops, with abundance or
iniauity. infiaming. lawless and bad
character, to take the opportunity OF
disturbing the peace Of foreign resi-
dents so that the admiral got ms,
anprehension and fired on this city.
in his report, however, Davis said
he had discovered no instance in
which any other than troops of Chen's
army in Nationalist uniform had fig-
ured in these attacks. Some of the
attackers, while holding the consul
himself at the muzzles OF their pistols.
boasted, he said, that they were OF
Chens revolutionary army. which
did not G re what it did TO foreigners
of any nationality.
Davis paid tribute to the courage
of American and British personnel
narticularIy the American. signal men,
who wigwagged for the barraga while
splinters of stone flew about them as
Chinese bullets spattered against the
pillars of the porch on which they
stood. The conduct of all American
and British refugees, he added, was
matter of justif1able pride.
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