Nantao Police and Crew Conflict Official investigation into the al-Jeged assault of four members of the crew of the China Merchants Steam Navigation Ca, liner Kiang-shun, and a foreign engineer by the Nantao river police is under way. The incident " which happened. on. board the steamer tied to the Co:'s tao Wharf last Wednesday, night resulted from squabbles during the police search for opium. To intimidate the crew, several shots were fired by the police. A party the by the shots, demanded of Japanese marines, attracted to
to board the Kiangshun, but through the able handling of matter by the captain of the the party returned without any incident, According to the details available Sept. 17, the officers of the water police. of "the Bureau of Public Safety boarded the Kinngshun which arrived from Hankow at 8 Pin. to conduct search for Smuggled opium. Being unsuccessful, the mon descended to the engine oom and interrogated a member of the crew named Chien Chai-yung. Chien Was reported to have been assaulted by the officers in a quarrel. The police also took three coal heavers to a cabin for interrogation which further resulted in an_alter-
Informed of the action of the ger eplignthe "El went into the ied, during which legs. to have been likewise injured
menaced by' other members of the crew,, the police party retreated to the deck where they. fired. several shots into the air to intimidate them, The shots were apparently heard bo} with" grave concern by Japane ines on a cruiser moored off the ing Lee Yuan Wharf, a short tance from the C.M.S.N. Nantao Wharf. After having spotted the Kiangshun with searchlights, the! officers of the cruiser despatched a party of marines to make While the ins were ins boarding the vessel, the captain ordered the river police to st away in order to avoid any' mi understanding. After the captain's explanation, the marines withdrew.
Shortly afterwards, a second search for drugs was made by the! Tiver police and two bags of opium, were discovered and taken to the station, The injured members of the crew were treated in a hospital, but_not detained.
Prior to the departure of the Kiangshun for river ports last Friday, a detailed report of the incident was submitted to the! Management by the captain, In an official communication to the City Government of Greater Shanghai, the management requests that strong action be taken by the authorities to avoid a recurrence of the incident, sensible officer of the China Daily News" representative Pol 'a "Nort that the shots were. fired by the police when they swore weed by the members of the crew. Acting on a secret inform: tion, the police party boarded vessel shortly after her arrival but they were prevented from carrying out their duty by several members of the avow. In the subsequent, conflict: one of the police constables was seriously injured by. armed blunt Instrument the crowd which had then been
Several attempts wore made by. the crew to deprive the police of their} farms. Under such circumstances, the offer said, the police were compelled to resort td arms. He added that the shots were fired to the air,
pects "are being' detained by the was reported that three ssu Police for investigation, "A. detailed Foport of the incident ta also been forwarded to the City Government by the police affeers, giving the Point of view of the ineivent
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.