Association Formed to Give Relief to Bomb Victims Canton, Oct. 4
Horrifed by the massacre of hundreds of Chinese civilians in and around Canton by the Japanese air force in repeated raids, foreign residents here have organized a Canton Committee for Justice to Canton.
Professor H. C. Brownell of Ling-nan University, Mr. E. H. Lockwood, associate general secretary of the Canton Y.M.C.A., Dr. M, S. Bates and. Dr. W. W. Cadbury are among those who sponsored the committee which will publish a periodical wherein appeals will be made to the world for justice to China.
The new organization stands for joint Anglo-American action in the present Sino-Japanese dispute, economic sanctions by the Powers against Japan, assistance to China in securing war supplies for self-defence purposes, a conference by signatories of the Nine Power Treaty, and relief to Chinese victims of Japanese "atrocities" here and elsewhere in China.—Central News.
The first intimation given to Americans that they would not be allowed to return to Shanghai was a notice posted on the ship's notice board to the effect that anyone returning would be liable to a fine of U.S. $2000, or five years in jail. The notice also contained an appeal to the patriotism of American citizens; urging them not to return to Shanghai at the present time. The notice was also posted in the offices of the Messageries Maritimes, and caused great distress among those who had booked.their passages home to Shanghai.
Their distress was increased by the announcement that passage money could not be refunded in view of the large number of passengers affected by the order. Subsequently, however, they were told that they would be given passages on another vessel leaving at a later date. Practically all the American passengers made wp their minds to ignore the notice, and risk the consequences, and ey boarded the Chenonceaux fully intending to return to Shanghai in spite of the warning.
"We were all settled on board", said Mrs. Krenov, "and it was getting near the time when the boat was to leave, when I saw the first and second class American passengers crowding into the music room. Two American consular officials then demanded all their passports, with the intention of cancelling their visas to China, Many of the passengers would have refused to hand them over, but they were told that if they did this they would be arrested by Japanese police who had. been brought on board. This was {he last thing, they-w {o happen to them, and be 20. or. over their had their visas cancelled, and left the ship. Many of the women were weeping, and there was much confusion on board."
Some brave spirits had their visas cancelled, and sailed for Shanghai without them, risking the consequent ces. As there were no passport examination officers to meet passefigers from the Chenonceaux, they were not on landing embarrassed by the action of their consular officials. A. number of people questioned the legality of the officials' action, and of the threatened arrest by Japanese police of those who refused to hand over their passports. Confronted with the possibility of immediate arrest, however, many capitulated without further delay.
The rounding-up of the Americam" passengers continued until one o'clock in the morning and other passengers awoke to find the ship still in dock at Kobe. They were told that the reason why the ship had not left was that the "engines would not work." The incident threatened to have serious consequences, as the French authorities are understood to have informed the American authorities that if the ship were held up through their action, the affair would be made the subject of notes between the French, American and Japanese Governments,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.