the Editor of the "Nori-Camwa Daty News."
Sit,—My "attention has been drawn to the article from your Jown correspondent at Wuchang under date of April 26 and appear fed on. page 7 of your paper dated May i with the headline, "Junk Passengers Drowned; "Japanese Cruiser Collides with Boatload of Chinese; Many Lives Lost," and since T, being then aboard the [Flagship of the Japanese Squadron fas Japanese naval agent in Shang hai, find the" article abovementioned somewhat contrary to the facts of the case, I will, by your permission, herein give' the cal account of how the accident In the first place, your correspondent. appears to be exfaggerating. the case when he says that the Junk was a big Chinese barge, full of passengers, for the {fact is that the barge was a small one with only about 10 persons aboard, of whom, according to Mr. Udagawa, who was then acting as pilot of the Japanese Squadron, five were drowned and one wounded to death.
Furthermore, your correspondent points out that although it was broad daylight, little or no attempt was made to" rescue the passengers, but this accusation is a canard, for no sooner had the collision taken place than life-buoys were thrown to the drowning Chinese and a. ife-boat was promptly lowered by the destroyer, Nokaze, to rescue them. In addition to this, the Nokaze and the destroyer No. 1 immediately broke from the line and tried hard to rescue the unfortunate Chinese but vain, owing to the fact that the destroyers were speeding along fat the rate of about 15 knots at the time of the collision and consequently it took them time to make 8 turn-about, a little too long to be in time to' rescue the Chinese.
Tudging from the above, you will that the Japanese' Squadron id all it could, never showing even 'a shadow of indifference despite of the false report from your own correspondent. Immediately fol-Towing the accident, the officers of the Nokaze and the destroyer No. Lwent ashore at Tayeh where they conferred with the Chief of the Chinese Water-Police on the matter, and as a result of their joint Investigutions into the cause of the collision, it was agreed that barge was entirely at fault due to the reckless attempt to get across Detween the Japanese destroyers which were then in' a single Tine, sailing down the River at a high rate and consequently the destroyer, Nokaze, which ran into the junk, had no chance at all to avoid the collision.
As for the mutter how to relieve the bereaved families of the victims, the Japanese naval officers con: cerned, leaving the matter in the hands of the reaponsible Japanese residents in Tayeh have returned home, simply because they had no time to remain there until the ease had boon settled, but I feel convinced that the matter will be solved before long to the satisfaction of both parties, Thanking you for your courtesy, Tam, ete,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.