Evening star., 1938-01-09
JAPANESEFLEET
GOES TO TS|NCTAO
Aliens Frightened-French
May Protest Assault
Upon Policeman.

May Protest Assault
Upon Policeman.
By the Associated Press.
SHANGHAI, Jan 8 Sunday
rival of a Japanese fleet of at least IL
warships of Tsingtao, rich North
China port, created fear among for
eieners and Chinese today of an i'm
pending japanese attack.
In Shanghai, meanwhile. French Of
ficials indicated they probably would
protest to Japan against an assault
by Japanese troops on police of the
French Concession yesterday
The incident, the second clash In
two days between japanese soldiers
and foreign police, brought Japanese
guns into line for more than an hour
on the border between Nantao and the
French Concession
The French rushed two armored
cars of reinforcements to the area but
the menacing situation was hastily
dissolved by an agreement between
French Consul Pierre Auge and Jap
anese officials. French authorities
declared, nevertheless, they probably
would make formal protest.
IL Believed in Fleet.
The Japanese fleet off Tsingtao
comprised at least II warships. Eight
war vesselS-three mineSWeeperS and
five ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS close to
the foreign residential area late last
night. They returned to the rest of
the fleet, however. after short time.
Early today the craft were remain
ing distantly offshore, without any
indications of their purpose.
What ships were lying off the port
was not known. Some reports said
the fleet consisted only of minesweep-
ers and old destroyers. Others said
the vessels included cruisers and de-
stroyers conveying troopships.
Vigilantes Organize.
While Chinese continued their
"scorched earth" policy at Haichow
eastern terminus of the Lunghai
Railroad, destroying the station
wharves and public buildings, foreign
Ngilantes at Tsingtao organized an
emergency committee to protect prop
erty.
The city has been virtually ungov-
erned since japanese invasion ap-
peared inevitable Chinese police have
sold recovered loot to pay their long
overdue salaries and have attempted
to coerce owners to pay for "protec-
ton"
A British banker, E. H. Gordon, was
named chairman of the emergency
committee and two Americans, W. S.
Elliott and F. G. Keefe, were ap-
pointed secretary and treasurer.
French Version of Affair.
According to the French version
Of the Nantao episode, Chinese
woman attempted to cross the Avenue
of Two Republics, the dividing line
between Nantao and the concession
to obtain water, violating japanese
rule closing Nantao's boundary to
Chinese.
A French policeman, of Russian
nationality, saw japanese sentry
seize and beat the woman He inter-
vened and was struck in the face.
Other japanese soldiers rushed to
the scene and started to drag the
policeman toward Nantao.. When he
struggled free, about 100 of the Japa-
nese troops leveled rifles and ma
chine guns across the boundary from
the armed French police.
An American, Cornell S. Franklin,
chairman Of the Shanghai Municipal
Council, lodged a strenuous protest
with Suemasa Okamoto Japanese
Consul General, against attacks by
Japanese armed forces on settlement
police.
Follows British Warning.
1t followed similar warning by
British Comdr. Gen. A. P. D. Telfer-
Smollett He advised the Japanese
Friday that recurrence of beat
ing of two British policemen under
circumstances like the French Incl
dent might cause 'gravest conse-
Quences"
GA French foreign office spokes-
man in Paris said the Japanese
soldiers threatened the French con-
cession policeman with a revolver
but that the French government
was mot alarmed" over the Incl
dent)
About 250,0O0 Chinese residents OF
Marking, quartered in a safety zone
since before China's capital was cap
tured by the Japanese December 13,
were permitted to return to their
homes. They faced a serious food
shortage
(The State Department at WASH
ington said all Americans in Nam
king were safe and WE'LL" but
that Consul John NJ. Allison, who
reopened the American Embassy
there Thursday had reported con-
siderable looting of American
property
Shantung Fighting Slowed.
Land hostilities in shantung, now
the major battle zone, appeared slowed
almost to standstill today by frigid
weather. Yangtze River Valley re-
ports also indicated slackened military
activity, suggesting the Japanese were
deferring any plans for their drive
deeper into China's interior.
1n Toxic, however, Domei (Jap-
anese news agency said PREMIER
Prince Fumimaro Konoye had
sought cabinet agreement for
continuation of the war four years
longer, even if the present "inci-
dent" is settled.)
Fragmentary Shantung reports in
dicated that Japanese penetration of
that North China province had been
less extensive than heretofore believed.