Member of Staff of N.-C.D.N.
Manhandled in Hongkew An assault was made by an armed japanese soldier on Mr. V. F. Mels-ling. "North-China Daily - News" reporter, at 2 pin, on March 26 in Tiendong Road across from the New Asia Hotel. The soldier, attached temporarily to the Japanese Gendarmerie, came running out. of the lobby as the American journal attempted to photograph the decora ated entrance to the hotel. struck him a number of blows with his clenched fats. pulled his necktie, searched him, nnd then pushed him acrons the street and Into' the hotel. Mr. Melsting.. who did' not endeavour to defend himself, was hit four times in the chest and three or four times in the back. "One blow was directed at the small camera he was carrying, after hho had put it in his coat pocket.
'Witnesses of the assault' were (we Indian watchmen and some Chinese who appeared out of the hotel. When Mr. Meisling arrived in Tiendong Road, only the watchmen were in the street and they made no objection to his opening his camera and {raining it-on the hotel entrance, which was] adorned with the banner of the new Central Chinese regime and the Japanese flag, crossed. There was no Japanese, civilian or military, in Hight. Suddenly, however. the Japanese soldier appeared from hotel, ran across the street started to strike the newspaper-man.
Mr. Meisling tried to make the soldier understand, by gestures, that he had taken no pictures of the hotel ut he failed to placate the man. The soldier, who was short a apparently sought {0 hi in the face. Mr. Moisling, however. standing well over six fect, the xendorine only managed to pommel the upper part of his chest. He further hit the small of his back. pulled his necktie, and searched him, before shoving him towards the hotel en-{trance—all the while addressing him fu Japanese. The Indian watchmen followed the pair across the street.
Tnside the lobby. Mr. Meisling was denied the use of a telephone and. was told by a Chinese to wait, after had presented his card. At this feneture a Japanese civilian, who appeared to be an official. waiked over to him from the back of the lobbyiand asked him, in English, what had happened. The Japanese civilian said a few words to the gendarme and then told Mr. Meisling in English that he was free to go and fo take the picture! of the hotel entrance.
Mr. Meisling reported -the assault frst at Hongkew Police Station, then to the oticer in charge of the Gendarmeric headquarters in the Bridge:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.