Evening star., 1938-02-23
8 Killed, 29 Hurt
i'll Raid, Say
Japanese.
ATTACK FROM AIR
is NIPPON'S FIRST
40 Ships and 2 Hangers
Destroyed, Hankow
Reports Say.
MAP on Page A-l.)

By the Associated Press.
TOXIC. Feb. 23.-Chinese warplanes
today raided Japans island colony of
Formosa. killing at least eight per-
sons and wounding 20 in the first aerial
bombardment suffered by any part of
the japanese empire
The Formosa government announced
that theree of seven persons killed at
Taihoku. the Colonial capital, were
children. One person was killed at
Shinchiku City, near the islands
northwestern coast.
Chlkuto, near Shinchiku, also was
raided and Domei, japanese news
agency. said several civilians were
killed there. These were not included
In the government figures.
Japanese accounts said seven planes
took part in the raids.
(Chinese reports from Hankow
declared there were 10 planes in
the airfleet from base on Chinas
southeastern coast, including Rus
sian-made craft flown by pilots of
undisclosed nationality. The Chinese
figures were discounted by foreign
authorities in Shanghai.
CThe Hankow reports said 40 jap
anese planes, 2 hangers and a
gasoline storage tank we're de-
stroyed at the Taihoku air base.
The raid was the first of new air
campaign, they indicated)
Toxic Excited.
News of the raid caused great excite
ment in Toxic. where the population
of over 100000 was made conscious
OF the perils of air attack by air de-
tense maneuvers which began today
in the Toxic Yokohama area. Pre-
viously the Japanese public had been
led to believe japanese air forces had
complete command of the air in China.
1t was the first time since 1864,
when a British sh-French-Dutch fleet
bombarded Shimonoseki, that terri
tory of the japanese empire had been
subjected to hostile foreign lombard
ment.
An hour before noon, the raiders
swung over the japanese air base on
the outskirts of Taihoku, Formosan
capital. and dropped 10 bombs. A
city Of 276,0O0, Taihoku is near the
northern tip of the island. approxi-
mately l20 miles east of the SOUTH
eastern coast of China. There was
only slight damage to the field,
Western Coast BOmbarded.
The raiders then bombarded points
In Shinchiku Province. on the west
ern coast Of the island.
An army communique charged that
the Chinese planes killed or wounded
women and children at Taihoku and
Shinchiku City.
It said that IAN obscure number"
Of planes appeared over the colonial
capital, flying at such an altitude
that anti-aircraft guns were unable
to reach them. consequently the
bombs landed far from the local air
drome, hitting private houses and
causing several casualties among
"oAlCAA oA1O AAAl4AA A1ClC W DIS A1O
serious damage"
The communique said Shinchiku
city was bombed in the same manner
an hour later.
A general air alarm was sounded
throughout the island, and the "all
clear" signal was not given until
3:42 pm.
The 1864 bombardment of Shimono-
seki, at the western entrance to
Japan's inland sea, was in reprisal for
Japanese shore batteries firing on
foreign merchant ships, including
American vessels.
The last enemy to attempt an in
vasion In force of Japan was the great
Mongol conqueror and Emperor of
China. Kublai Khan. Two armadas in
1874 and 1921 failed to effect a land
ing on japanese shores. A typhoon
came to the rescue of the japanese in
the 1881 repulse of the great Khan's
forces.