The Japanese Embassy, on December 7, addressed a formal apology to the American State Department for the illegal arrest of American soldiers at Tientsin in March of last year.
On March 13 of last year a fracas occurred between Americans and Japenese in Tientsin. It appeared that some American soldiers became boisterous in the Japanese Concession and the Japanese police feeling themselves inadequate to cope with the difficulty called for assistance front Japanese soldiers. In the struggle which ensued a number of American soldiers were injured and some arrested and it is for these arrests that the apology has beer tendered.—Ed.
American and Japanese Notes Our correspondent has since forwarded to us copies of the Notes interchanged with reference to the matter.
The Note. fron the Japanese Embassy to the U.S, Minister dated December 7 is as follows "Tt has been brought ttmy attention that on the night of Marck 12,1919, an unfortunate méldée took place between certain American soldiers and Japanese civilians, On the Japanese side three were badly wounded in the Japanese Concession and seven others in the adjoining French Concession. Amid the disturbances one American soldier was arrested in the French Concession by the Japanese military and police authorities while another was seriously injured by the disorderly crowd and was also taken from that Concession to the Japanese police station.
"Shortly thereafter the American Consul-General visited. the Japanese police station and in answer to the question which he had put to the Chief of Police he was given to understand that no American soldier was being detained at the station. The reply of the Chief of Police was admittedly inexact and misleading since two American soldiers were actually there under detention.
"On the following day, Marek 13 four American soldiers entered the premises of the Japanese Consulate-General at Tientsin and painfully assaulted without provocation an official of the South Manchuria Railway who happened to be standing at the entrance of the house.
"It would not be necessary to des-cribo further particulars of the incident. The whole controversy" is regrettable and in the belief of the Japanese Government it should speedily be brought to a friendly settlement, each government being ready to do justice to the other.
"Accordingly under authoriza-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.