The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-12-14
RECONSTRUCTED
REPORT OF PANAY
SINKING CONFIRMED
Continued from pare one)

(C0ntlnQeQ tf0m pare oHe)
der protection Of the Panay'S
guns, while the gallant little gun
boat and the third of the Stan
dard Oil vessels were sinking.
Boats were launched but some
of the refugees swan ashore.
Radios from the Bee at ii. M.
today confirmed this rcconShuc'
ton.
"All the ships of the American
convoy suffered practically total
destruction" the commander OF
the British warShip radioed.
THE ships were anchored OIL
Hoshien near the Haiyuan wharf,
the Panay was hit first by q large
bomb and went down shortly
thcrcafter-bow first. The Mcian
was beachcd and abandoned on
the north shore Of the river.
"The Panay sank slowly and
when she was abandoned the
crew was landed on the north
shore Of the river.
During the first burst OF
bombing the Meiping and the Mel
shan (tankcrs) were bcrthed
along the Kaiyuan wharf. Fires
which started on them were eX.
tinguished and contact established
with the commanders Of the Jap
ancse army columns fighting their
way into Hohsien not far from
the ships.
"The sailors of the Panay at
prcscnt aboard the Bee were on
the Meiping as d guard at the
time of the bombing.
"Some of the survivors were on
the north and some on the south
shore Of the river and began NOV
ing towards safety immediately
after the attacks, making a check
difficult"
DR.. II. Y. Taylor. an American
missionary from Marking who was
reporting oil the disaster, said at
midnight that many Of the sur
vivorS still were At Hohs'cn and
that the Japanese bombardmcnt
of the city had ceased. He said
that Emile Casey. Of the u. ).
embassy staff, was wounded IN
the leg.
The attacks on the American
ships ceased only after Japanese
planes had arrived with new or
dcrs.
II seemed certain that the Jap
ancsc forces in the area under
stood their orders to mean they
were to attack everything in sight
without awaiting to establish ma
ionalitv. This was explained by
the fact the Japanese had warned
all foreign ships and nationals TO
keep out Of the war area and were
acting on the assumption that
their warnings had been needed
japanese officials in Shanghai
were Mortified at the disaster and
Immediately assumed full respon.
sibility. Apologies came thick and
fast. Admiral Kiyoshi HaScgawa,
commanding the Japanese thrd
battle flect-to which the bomb
ing planes were attached - visit.
cd Admiral Yarncll and expressed
his profound regrets" He was
reported TO have assured farneIl
that the guilty filters would be
punished.
Unofficial Japanese said 1t was
possible the filters might be given
the opportunity for honorable
suicide" or that they might SUI
fer the death penalty from a fir
inc squad if it was definitely eS,
tablished that they had disobeyed
orders or been guilty of criminal
carelessncss.
Japanese Ambassador Shigeru
Kawagoe teleGraphed regrets TO
Y. S. Ambassador Nelson l.
Johnson in Hankow, the Japanese
consul general apologized to his
America ncolleague here, and the
foreign office in Tokyo offered
to make any amends that Joseph
/. Grew, u. S. ambassador to ia
pan. might be instructed TO re-
quest. ~ A. r,
It was anticipated that the Jap;
anese government would meet all
American demands as rapidly as
a., - - yiou nf the ire