Evening star., 1939-06-25
japanese Increase
Restrictions Upon
River 10 Tientsin
Lack of Fresh Food Now
Being Felt by French
Concession
BY the Associated Press.

oy tue hSSOClateQ fIeSS.
TIENTSIN, June 24.-The Jap
anese extended their military
blockade of the British and French
concessions today with increased
restrictions on river travel from
Tientsin to the port of Tangku.
A British passenger ship was de-
layed on the 18-mile trip, one British
subject was held for four hours
before being permitted to go on to
Tangku, and others repo~ ted they
were searched.
Previously shipping on the Hal
encountered only occasional diff
Guilty. Two British subjects reported
they were compelled to undress and
searched at the concession barri-
cades, making a total of II such
incidents in the last three days. A
Brazilian, the only South American
in Tientsin, reported he was mo-
Tested last Monday.
French Lack Fresh Food.
A lack of fresh food in the French
concession became apparent for the
first time since the blockade was
imposed June IA when British au-
thorities refused to hand over four
alleged terrorists. The British area
felt the shortage almost at once
but the French had been using their
military trucks to get supplies from
the Italian concession.
One Chinese taxi driver in the
French concession had solved in
part the problem of submitting to
to search by the Japanese-he sat
in his cab in his underwear.
He explained he was tired of
taking off his pants every time q
fare took him into Japanese terri
tory. He put them back on hastily
when directed him to the British
concession, into which he could
drive without encountering the Jap
anese gendarmes.
One of the British searched today
was Cecil Davis, honorary agent of
the New Zealand government, who
reported he was slapped three times
and forced to stand naked in the
examining shed yesterday. The jap
anese permitted him to keep on
his undershirt and trunks today.
Thrown Out Of Shed.
The other was J. A. Whitewright
secretary of the Tientsin Country
Club, who said gendarmes pushed
him from the shed and threw his
outer clothing after him when they
had finished their search.
Mr.. Davis said he persisted In
passing the barricade because his
rug factory outside the British area
required his attention. Whitewright
said his presence was required at
the country club.
The Brazilian, Adolfo Petersen
IS. who represents a German firm
complained he would have been de-
tanned for some time under a bril-
liant sun but a French friend OBJ
tanned his release. Mr.. Petersen
declared the guard refused to rec
ognize his passport or a special pass
from the Japanese Consul General
obtained for him by the American
Consulate General.
The japanese Consulate General
informed British officials today that
G. A. Smith, British exporter, would
be released tomorrow. He has been
detained by the Japanese since
June II.
Dispatches from Shanghai re-
ported Japanese now were making
no objection to American and Brit
ish ships entering or leaving the
port of Swatow with passengers
and mail but without cargo. A
Shanghai spokesman denied the
japanese ever proclaimed a block
ade of Swatow, which they occupied
Wednesday. Two British and two
American destroyers are there now,
and British and Norwegian ship
docked there without trouble yes
terday. British ofncials In Hong
Kong said Japanese last Wednesday
had warned ships and citizens Of
other nations they entered or re-
IL L. IL,