Evening star., 1937-12-30
Alley
Continued From First Paee.)

I, as = reporter, had been assigned
to such things before. Then came .
wire from Charlie Ford, in charge OF
Universal News Reels New York once.
And with hardly time to grab . tooth
brush and my camera, I found myself
aboard the China Clipper flying over
the Pacific into the setting sun. Be-
hind me were sudden good-bys to my
wife Villa and my three children.
Ahead OF me. though I did not know 1t
then, was the most shocking expert
ence I have ever undergone.
I neither seek nor urge any retalia-
ton upon the Japanese for what hap
pened to the Panay-even though
saw three Of my comrades killed and
many others wounded. Let those
more cool Of mind and vision handle
the situation as they think proper. But
for their edification and for the knowl-
edge Of the millions OF Americans to
whom this bombing might come with
as horrifying shock as even the sink
ing OF the Maine, really feel the
true story should be told.
1t should be said here that I am
not exactly q stranger to japanese
psychology. Only 4 week or 20 pre-
vious ! had been with Japanese troops
advancing to Marking from Shanghai.
had watched their stolid, instant
obedience to orders, their unquestion-
ing faith in the spoken command and
words OF their immediate superiors.
They didn't walk to Job when told
to do it-they ran to 1t with all the
dogged determination OF their stubby
little legs. Even as I saw the Japa-
nese planes descending upon US time
and again could not get the picture
out OF my mind OF the little Japa-
nese soldier running to his unaltera bic
purpose.
Planes Hunt Fugitives.
I knew that the pilots OF the planes
pouring death upon US were not acting
under their own volition. I knew
that they were simply fulhlling Or
ders. This was later confirmed by
their attempts to machine gun sur
vivors. by their bullet -heralded visit
to the Panay as she lay almost awash
IN the Yangtze, and by their later
search for those who had escaped.
There was more than Q touch Of
irony to the fate that placed me
aboard the Panay. was the last
civilian to board it and I was the last
civilian to, leave 1t. The last and only
lifebuoy OF the Panay, thrown to me
by q grinning deckhand, is before me
as write these words. I took motion
pictures OF that deckhand = few min
utes later from the rescue boat as he
and his companions dived over the
side Of the sinking vessel to make for
shore.
When the Americans sheltered In
the United States Embassy in Man.
king found the going too hot for them
and decided to evacuate to the Sc
curity Of the Panay, was there with
my camera grinding out the scene.
I had already recorded the gruesome
and exciting details Of the bombing
that befell Marking and the flames
that sprang up, here and there, i'm
Afterwards. It seemed to
me that my motion picture camera
belonged. not with the Americans
aboard the Panay, but in Marking,
even though they, my fellow Amer
leans, had acted upon tho Embassy
orders to forsake the city.
Fears for Precious Film.
So I saw them go, and recorded
their going on the emulsion Of my
Aim. Immediately afterward the at
tack on the city grew more intense
and 1t became clearly evident that
the carnage was running rampant and
unchecked. feared that with no evi-
dent sign of guiding military control,
my life, and what was perhaps more
precious to me in my excitement, my
film. were no longer safe. On the
spur Of the moment I decided to try
to reach the Panay myself. Nothing
could happen In Marking that I
hadn't already photosraphed-it
would only Be monotono,x repetition
Of sickening and horrible sights. I
had plenty Of these already.
Halt running. half charging my way
through pAnic-stricken crowds, I
headed for the quay. almost lost
my voice in that rush. and 1t got ~
hoarse a. have ever known it to be.
In invaded China today. II you would
attempt to move with any alacrity
through the thoroughfares.. you must
spend ~ much energy yelling ~ you