Seven Plainclethes Men Pay Extreme Penalty Convicted in a Japanese military court-martial of engaging in activities detrimental to the safety of the Japanese expeditionary forces, seven Chinese were executed by the Japanese gendarmerie on January 28, Japanese Army communique announced yesterday, The execution took place ai an undisclosed place on Range Road, according to the announcement.
The convicted men were tried on January 19 on charges of having engaged in anti-Japanese activities as members of a mobile unit of the Kiangsu-Chekiang Executive Committee of the Military Affairs Commission of the former Nanking Government.
Their names were given as Chou Chi-tang, Fang Chia-chuan, Yang Kuang-lan, Hsu Hsiang-kwei, Chang Man-kun, Ku Jen-yuan and Chen Kung-lin.
Questioned whether the alleged terrorists had been arrested by the Settlement police, the military spokesman at yesterday's press conference stated that he had no information: nor could he give the tin.e and place of their being apprehended. He further said that they were shot behind walls in the Settlement and that the execution was closed to the public.
Tt was also affirmed that they were arrested for terrorism, but no information was available whether their acts had been directed against Chinese. Accused were allowed to state their case, but differing from court martials in Japan during peace time the men were not allowed benefit of counsel.
The Embassy spokesman produced a letter which had been delivered at the residence in Seymour Road of the Japanese Consul-General yesterday morning, excerpts of which followi—"You dwarf thief.... from now on our bomb shall he thrown at the heads of Japanese leaders... your head will be severed from your body within a few days...we are "ut for revenge to the bitter end beware.
Other than an anonymous letter received by Mr. Okamoto, several days ago, no other Japanese had been threatened.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.