The Hsiakwan railway station is not an easy place from which to dis~ appear. Tt is full of police and soldiers. Hundreds of persons were at the railway station on the night of June 8, as Friday night is the most popular time for Nanking off dals to leave for Shanghai to spend the week; end. Any attempt to kid~ nap of murder Mr. Kuramoto would have been immediately known and there would be no way for the criminal or criminals to escape with their prisoner.
The Chinese official release therefore states "although the Chinese authorities are completely mystified over Mr. Kuramoto's disappearance, they are instructing the Police and Garrison headquarters to push forward their search for the missing man." Chinese officials can do nothing. They now feel that they will never be able to locate the missing Vice-Consul.
Tndignation was expressed by a high Chinese official in an interview to-day over reports that the missing Japanese Vice-Consul, Mr.
Kuramoto, "was kidnapped by Chinese special police outside the Japanese Consulate and murdered later."
Charges of Fabrication As soon as the news reached the public, the Chinese Foreign Office and Police and Garrison Headquarters were bombarded with queries. They had no clues to work On, Crimes like murder, robbery, Icidnapping, and political ' assassination here have been few in number and such crimes have been solved in most cases In a few hours' time. The Police and Garrison Headquarters in the capital have most elaborate and efficient systems for combatting crime and reactionary elements here. That Mr. Kuramoto could be murdered or Kidnapped was difficult to believe. he only hope at the time was that Mr, Kuramoto had lost his memory and was wandering about somewhere the capital, in which case he would 'The Chinese official stated that the reports were evidently fabricated With the intention of creating the Impression aboard that lawlessness was rife in China, but he pointed out that, although' foreign. missionaries were occasionally kidnapped by bandits and Communists in the interior of China, foreigners were well protected in Nanking and_ other laces where the Chinese Government exercises complete control.
The police and garrison forces in Nanking, he added, were well-known for their efficiency in checking lawlessness, Only one robbery was reported in years, and the case was quickly solved.
Tu conclusion the official expressed the hope that the public abroad would
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.