Hankow, Sept. 7.
Making the second to meet with the same fate within as many days, an~ other Eurasia plane was shot down by Japanese aircraft south-west of Haniow yesterday afternoon, it was learned belatedly today.
Excepting for minor scratches, the five occupants of the plane' ai safe, according to a statement made by Mr. H. Shou-yung, Cantonese pilot of the plane, in an' interview after arriving here today.
"It was a miracle that no one was injured," the pilot declared, "since the Japanese pursuit planes machinegunned the aeroplane four times, three times in the air and once after we had crashed into the rice-fields.
"The right wing Of the plane bore over 40 machine-gun bullet holes, the left wing eight, the control room five, while the pilot's coat, left on a chair two feet behind the' pilot, had six bullet holes.
"The same Eurasia pane took off yesterday morning with passengers and mails for Sion, but turned back due to failure to contact Sian by wireless on arrival at Wuchang.
passengers returned to. Hankow, and the mails were unloaded.
"When information was received that three Japanese pursuit planes were heading for Hankow yesterday afternoon al 3.15 p.m. T decided to take off, accompanied' by the me-[charlie, wireless operator and steward.
Chinese coolie delivering gasoline also went aboard, making up the five aboard the plane.
"The Japanese planes, after ma-[chine-gunning us in the air, machinegunned us again for five minutes after we crashed in the paddy field.
"hey then departed.
"The" propellers and landing gear were damaged.
"We only succeded in contacting' Hankow at 11.30 oclock this morning, when cars were sent to Paichow {0 the us back to Hankow."
The Eurasia authorities are sending!
party to bring back the machine to Hankow. The plane, it is understood, {snot badly damaged.
Paichow, where the plane crashed, {is situated 25 miles to the south-west of Wuchang—Reuter. tay on the Ground"
Tokyo, Sept. 7.
By staying on the ground, Chinese commercial aircraft will "most effectively" evade mishaps resulting from encounters with Japanese naval military aeroplanes. Rear-Admiral Kiyoshi Noda, director of information of the Naval Section of the Imperial General Headquarters, believes.
Commenting on the—machinegunning of a Eurasin Aviation Corporation airliner en route to Yunnan from Hongkong on Monday, Rear-'Admiral Noda reiterated that while Japanese military or naval aircraft would not deliberately attack Chinese civilian "planes, the Japanese authori-les could not guarantee the safety of such machines if they flew over the zones of operations of the Japanese forces.
He asserted that the two recent cidents, involving, one a China National Aviation Corporation machine, the other a Eurasia Aviation Corporation craft, had shown that it was dificult for fliers engaged in military operations to differentiate promptly between military and civilian aircraft—Domei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.