Alleged Assault and Insult to Flag Tientuin, Aug. 9.
Strong representations were made today to the Customs authorities here by the Japanese Consulate-Gen-¢ral, in connection with the alleged assault by Customs officials upon a Japanese merchant named Kikuchi and an insult to the Japanese national fag. a 'The incident, according to a report submitted sto. the Consulale-General, occurred at Hsuchiachuang, "neat here, as Kikuchi, with two' other Japanese, Uchida' and Kurihara, ar-Fived with motor trucks loaded with 25,000 cities of cigarettes, manufactured by the local factory of the 'Toa Tobacco Company. As the three Japanese were about' to place the cargo aboard junks sailing for Tongshan, to which the cigarettes were consigned, about thirty officials of the Customs preventive service ae-costed them, Beaten with Rifle Butts Kikuchi was severely beaten with rifle butts, while his companions also were badly manhandled and tied with ropes. A bag on one of the trucks was torn to shreds by the Customs guards.
The Consular authorities announced that they would make an Investiga-ion to determine whether transporta-lion of goods manufactured here 10 other points in the province constituted a violation of the Customs regulations. If this fact is established, guilty persons willie severely punished on charges of smuggling Domei.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.