Shanghai, Oct. 6.
'The extraordinary. predicament of Americans attempting to proceed 'Shanghat from Japan but who were detained at the last' minute by American Consular officials in. Kobe. was described to a *North-China Dally News" reporter by Mrs, B. Krenov, passenger on board the Messageries Maritimes liner Chenonceaux, which arrived In Shanghai fon Sunday.
"About 40 Americans had booked passage for Shanghai and the ship 'Was due to sail between 9 and 11 pin. Soon after 11 o'clock, two American consular oMelals came on board, demanded to sce the passports American passengers, and compelled 20-of them to leave' the ship and romain behind by cancelling" their visas for China, The remaining 20 arrived in Shanghai on Sunday, together with 400 or so members of other nationalities, Big Pine Th The first intimation given to. Ameri cans 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 Hable to a fine of US. $2,000, or five years in. jell, The! noliee also contained an appeal to the patriotism of American citizens, urs Ing: them not to return to Shanghai atthe 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 Shanghai.
"Their distress was increased by the announcement' that passage money could not be refunded In view of the arge number of passengers affected by the order. Subsequently, however, they were told that they would be iven "passages on another vessel Teaving at a. later date. Practically. all the American passengers made up their minds to ignore the notice, and risk the. consequences, and they hoarded the Chenonceaux fully me {ending to return to Shanghai in spite of the warning.
"We were all. settled on board". said Mrs, Krenov, "and it was getting hear the time when the boat was to Teave, when T 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:
the passengers would have refused to hand them over, but they were old that it they die this they would, be arrested by Japanese police who had been brought on board. This was the Fast thing they wanted to happen them, and so 20 oF so handed over their passports, had their visas con celled, and left the ship. Many of the women wore 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 ex faminatton amicers to meet passengers from. the Chenonceaux, they wore landing embarrassed by the faction of their consular oMcials. A number of people questioned the Teuality of the officials' action, and fof the threatened arrest by Japanese police of those who refused to hand var (belt asserts, Confronted with the possibility of immediate arrest, however, many capitulated.
'The' rounding-up of the American passengers continued until one Grelock in the morning, and other passengers awoke to find the ship still dock at Kobe, They were told that the reason why, the ship had hot Tefl- was that the "engines would hot work." The incident threatened have serious consequences, as the French, authorities are understood to have. informed the Amerienn authorities that if the ship were held through their action, the affair Would be made the subject of notes atween the "French, American und Heh arads tain
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.