General Harada Agrees with Col. Nishi Shanghai, Dee. 22.
is now the.opinion of the local JSopanese authorities that the USS. [Panay did not fire any shots from ther S+inch gun at Japanese army. tunus, Major-General Harada, the JJapanese military attache, "and Lieutenant-Colonet™ Yoshiaki" Nishi, [special investigator sent from the War JOmice in Tokyo, said yesterday morning. Both maintain' that no shots: Jwere fired by: the army unit of: the Panay, and suggested that the Tokyo Foreign OMfce's admission that shots: were fired related to another incident Wwhich occurred at the same time, when chase was given to two Chinese [launches near the scene, "In my announcement yesterday." said Major-General Harada, "I stated tnt the Panay had fred three shots Jat the Japanese land force on the Yangtze. Asa. result, however, of investigations carried "out by Col. Nishi (who returned to Shanghai last night) it has become doubtful whether for not these shots were fired. Personally, T have also come to doubt whether these shots were fired.
Before making his announcement, Col. Nish said that he wished 0 point out that he was not in a posi-ion to make a formal or official Jannouncement. "He had. howeve [personally interviewed the officers [Concerned in the incident, "The position of the army forces that time," he began, "was not position of attack or defence. The forces were concealed, and the main body was not deployed for action but concealed in a group. A small unit was detached from the main group and sent about 300 yards ahead 10 proceed to reconnoitre, The unit it~ self remained concealed with the exception of the commanding ameer who carried out the reconnoitre.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.