U, S.S, Luzon, with Vice: mander of the Yangtze patrol, Amiral Charnier, first warships "Admiral D.M. lo Breton, com-aboard, and the French gunboat of third party Powers to make the trip down the Yangtze from Hankow to Shanghai since the "pottling-up" of foreign vessels at the outbreak of hostilities sixteen months ago, arrived here yesterday morning. Aboard the Luzon, which together with the Amiral Charnier had been escorted as far as Nanking by Japanese warships, were six civilian evacuees from Hankow, five of whom were missionaries.
Amusing scones were witnessed as} the two vessels berthed at the U.S. and French naval buoys, the crews of other warships anchored in the river, engaging in. cheerful sallies at the expense of the sailors standing on the decks of the new arrivals. "Did you move a nice vacation?", "I bet you're ready for some decent, chow'," and "Where are your beards?" were heard by a "North-China Dally News" reporter who witnessed the arrival the Luzon from the deck of the USS. Isabel, flagship of the Yangtze flotilla, and the equally cheerful replies from the Luzon, including the commander's "ye had to turn all my collars" illus~ trated the happy-go-lucky spirit which! tone usually associates with. sailors.
While the Amiral Charnier moored ut the French naval buoys the Luzon drew alongside the Isabel, and on her decks wore noticed trunks and port manteatt of all descriptions, boxes and packages and even a private rickshaw, most of these being the property of the six civilians who had made' the Journey downriver on the warship.
Under the command of Lieut.-Cdr.
B, MeVay, the Luzon, accompanied by the Amiral Charnier, left Hankow on December 5 under the terms of note presented to the senior naval amicers of third party Powers in Shanghai by, Vieo-Admiral Koshiro Oikawa, which extended facilities for the passage of foreign warships {rom points up-river to Shanghai under certain unrevealed conditions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.