While this guilt is contradicted in the preliminary statement issued on March 31, a rigid Government inquiry is being conducted in order to ascertain the exact facts of the case, including verification of the fanding facts reported to the Military Council by General Chen Chien, who took Nanking, namely, that his forees rounded ip' and captured 30,000 Northern soldiers with rifles, besides thousands of camp, followers inside the city of Nenking.
General Chen Chien has also reported that a number of those implicated have already been execut-
The Nationalist Government proposes that the question of: punishment should await the findings "of cither the Government inquiry now in progress or of an intern nal conimission of inquiry to be immediately instituted by the United States and the Nationalist Govern ments, As the laws of nations and the recognized practices of civilized States prohibit the bombardment of cities on the territories of friendly States, the Nationalist Government. proposes that the proposed commi sion of inquiry should also investiga ate the circumstances of the bombardment of the unfortified city of Nanking by U. S. naval forces on Murch 24.
Apolory and "When"
The demands for an apology in writing by the Commander-in-Chief of the Nationalist Army, including a "written undertaking to refs from violence against foreign lives and property" is, so far as apology is concerned, justified on proof. of! Nationalist guilt for the Nanking disturbances. The Nationalist Government, therefore, proposes that the question of an apology should alo wait determination of the question of guilt, either by the Government inquiry now in progress or by an international commission. In the meantime the Nationalist Government—repeats the expression of regret which Minister for Foreign Affairs communicated to the U. S. vernment directly it was report! grams to their respective Home Go-Vernments for instructions, It is understood that the "second step" signifies a sanction—Toho.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.