Evening star., 1939-06-26


Tientsin. British nationals sub
Jected to many indignitieS. Lon
don threatening reprisals. TOXIC
demands settlement must include
reortentation of Britain'S attitude
to,Dard Japan.
By the Associated Press.
TIENTSIN, June 26-A Japanese
spokesman declared today Japan
had not and would not investigate
reports that a British couple had
been forced by Japanese to disrobe
in Tientsin because "in principle
such case could not happen"
British Consul Maj G. A. Her
bert had charged that a British sub
ject and his wife, Mr., and Mrs. D.
A. Finlay, were undressed and
searched before being allowed to
cross the Japanese barrier sur
rounding the blockaded British con-
cession here
Mrs. Finlay was said to have been
permitted to keep on only one gar
ment-a girdle-While Chinese po-
licewoman examined her in full view
OF japanese Army sentry.
Asked if he could deny the report
that Mr.. and Mrs. Finlay had been
compelled to strip, the spokesman
answered, In principle. yes" He
acknowledged. however that he had
no report from gendarmes at the
Racecourse road barrier, where Mai.
Herbert said the incident occurred
Saturday.
With the British community
shocked by the reported incident,
the Japanese apparently were be-
ginning to be concerned by accounts
of their activities published abroad.
The army spokesman disclosed
that japanese Consul General Shi-
genori Tashiro had protested to the
British consul general. E. G.. jamie
son, against the handling of news
by British newspapers and news
paper agencies, which are exagger-
ating the Importance of small Incl
dents, distorting facts and in some
cases fabricating so-called acts of
1ndignlty against British subjects" ;"
The army spokesman said Japa-
nese military officials were con-
vinced that reports of the disrobing
of Britons, particularly of the Fin
lays, were exaggerated. He said
they believed special care was taken
to extend courtesy to foreign women
during examinations at the barrier.
He summoned the staff officer in
charge of the Racecourse road bar
rier. who declared, There has been
no such incident"
Examinations of foreign women
by Chinese policeWomen are con-
Quoted in closed rooms, he said, and
regulations prohibit the examiners
from disrohing them.
Stood in Line an Hour.
According to Maj. Herbert, Mr..
Finlay and his wife reported they
were admitted to the British con-
cession on their return from work
at the International Country Club
in Japanese occupied territory only
after standing in line for an hour
while other foreigners and Chinese
entered.
According to the British Consul,
they were taken into a Japanese
Searching hut" where Mr.. Finlay
said he was Invested of all his cloth
ing and examined closely while his
wife was compelled to watch.
Mrs. Finlay said she requested the
japanese sentry to leave the inner
room where. her husband reported,
she was forced to undergo a similar
examination undressed except for
her girdle. She said the sentry
turned his back "momentarily" but
soon resumed steady scrutiny of
the examination"
When the examination was fin
1shed, she said, she dressed and
emerged from the room to find her
husband, garbed only in an under
shirt, showed into the street. She
said japanese sentries threw his
clothing after him and he dressed
In full view of a crowd.
Milk Shortage Continues.
The situation remained unchanged
as the blockade entered it's 18th day
Begun over local issue, the re-
fusal of British authorities to yield
four Chinese accused by Japan of
killing a local official. it has grown
into test of Britain's whole policy
in China.
The milk shortage in the British
concession continued and one British
hospital reported no deliveries had
been made to it. The municipal
market in the neighboring French
concession-also within the Japanese
electrified barricades-received no
fresh meat. 1t still. was selling
surplus stocks from yesterday.
Supplies of fresh vegetables were
about the same in both French and
British markets and were not sufh-
cient to meet the demand.
Increasing guerrilla activities on
Tientsin's outskirts were reported by
Chinese sources. Other reports said
guerrilla attacks also might be ex-
pected in Eastern Hopeh Province.
A Japanese poster in the Tientsin
station announced that railroad
service might be interrupted because
Japanese troops were engaging
Chinese irregulars in Eastern Hopeh
Japanese gendarmes, meanwhile,