Two Japanese naval pinnaces, carrying thirty armed marines on board, chugged up the Soochow Creek as far as the North Chekiang Road Bridge at 2.45 p.m. yesterday, Ad the Bridge, the officer in of the pinnaces was approached by an officer from the Royal Welch Fusiliers, who are defen this sector, and requested to turn back and leave the Creek, as this section was said to fall within the British defence sector, The pinnaces, which were, it, is thought, to be used to attack the Continental Bank Godown in Chapei were said by the Japanese officer to be proceeding up the creek to assist 1 a Shanghai Fire Brigade float. anchored further up in dealing "with fires in Chapel.
"When informed of the presence of the two picket boats in the creek, British Military Headquarters requested the Japanese Consul-General, Mr. S. Okamoto, to ask the Japanese "Naval Landing Party authorities to withdraw the two pinnaces, as they were encroaching upon the British sector. A ticklish point arose, as the Japanese authorities contested the British claim that the creek fell within their defence sector.
British and Japanese consular representatives conferred yesterday afternoon in an attempt to reach an agreement upon this point. Means while the two pinnaces were' removed from the creek at 430 p.m. It is understood that the pinnaces 4 could not have proceeded further up the creek than the North Thibet Road bridge, as there is a line of junks stretched across at that point.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.