Hongkong, Sept. 29, Orders to proceed to Swatow immediately were issued to the 16th and 26th destroyer flotilla by Rear-Admiral Shosuke Shimomura, commander of the Sith torpedo-boat flotilla. Seven destroyers have ready left for Swatow to protect Japanese lives and property there.
Rear-Admiral Shimomura is remaining near Canton to watch closely the attitude of th" Chinese authorities, Gen, Li Tsung-jen, Commender-in-Chief of the Kwangsi forces, has offered his services as a mediator betweer the Japanese and Chinese authorities, "according to reports received here.
'Meantime, Rengo learned that Mr. 'Tatsuo Kawai, Consul-General in Canton, tiled a vigorous protest with Gen. Chen (Chi-tang, Chairman' of the "Kwangtung Provincial Government, against the orders allegedly issued by the Chinese authorities to tax Japanese nationals, An extremely serious view is being taken by the Japanese authorities of the dispute, which apparently arose out of the detention of Junk-loads of Japanese rice by the Swatow author!
for non-payment of taxes. The mayor of Swatow, Mr. Li Yang-ching, has resigned from his post—Rengo, An account was published of an a cident on the Lunghai Railway, in the neighbourhood of Loyang, coaches (one account said were six coaches plunged over coaches were said to be packed with soldiers, over 200 of whom were killed "and another 200 injured. Revter's Agency sent in the earliest report, which they acknowledged having obtained from Chinese vernacular papers. Later in the day, all the three local " Chinese news: agencies who send out regular services circulated a similar report, corroborative in every detail and almost identic in language, Last Wednesday, following upon a telephone report from the Lunghai Railway Administration, asking for a correction, there arrived the fol-Towing letter:
"Dean Smns-—"The report of an accident the Lunghai oilway, near Chang-mou, "appearing in. various papers, is erroneous. According to telegraphic tn= formation from the Administr catualtes, as Ht affects the reputation of the fine"
The necessary correction readily 4s published, particularly as it shows that the mishap was not attended by such appalling consequences, but [At ig emphasized that the reports were Recepted in good faith, as coming from reliable Chinese sources.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.