The Municipal authorities invited Japanese ce-operation and carried out a number of raids in the Concession, as a result of which several arrest were made, The Japanese alleged that four of these were members of a terrorist gang connected with the above murder and with the death of three Japanese soldiers, These men were handed over to them for questioning. and made confessions implicating themselves which, however, they later retracted when returned to the custody of the British Municipal authorities, A warning proclamation was issued on June 7 that any breach of neutrality in future would be deàlt with by either handing the culprit over to the de facto authorities for trial, or by expulsion from the Concession, The four men in question, however, were arrested before the issue of that proclamation.
"In the absence of evidence connecting them with the crime, other than their own confession made while in the custody of the Japanese and, as they allege, under torture tinued Mr. Butler, "His Majesty's Government has not felt justified in giving instructions for them to be handed over to the local" district courts. This attitude is in accordance with the practice followed for the past 22 months,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.