Hongkong, Nov. 10.
Passengers from the Imperial Air= ways Mlying-boat Dardanis, forced down on Waichow Island on Wednesday, "arrived here today aboard the USS. Mindanao, This afternoon [they were engaged making statements {to the British authorities, itis authoritatively learned that less than five Japanese planes Swooped down on the Dardanus, opened up intense machine-gun fire from a distance of 200 fect, and con-{tinued pumping bullets into. the ing-boat while it was descending, resulting in the machine being absolute-
Only the expert skill and intense coolness of Pilot Joe Wilson, an 'Australian, saved the machine' and Joceupants from complete destruction Officers Detained Shanghai, Nov. 11.
Messrs. J. N. Wilson, aged 30, and J.P. Raeburn, aged 25, both officers Jot the Imperial Airways liner Dard Anus, are being detsined for question ing by the Japanese authorities at Waichow Island where their ship was foreed down on November 8, This was revealed by a Japanese Navy spokesman at the press conference is learned tonight that the Im- yesterday during the course of a the [Statement in connection with the three—passengers of the chine, Messrs. A. Hertzberg, neer, a Norwegian aged 34, Cuovas, a merchant of American ma-
Nionality, aged 39, and V. Levy, a Persian merchant aged 25, have been sent to Canton, the spokesman recaled, while the aeroplane Is. still at Waichow Island awaiting repairs. his statement the spokesman said that Waichow Island was located Approximately 240 kin. from Haiphong, Which had been occupied by. the Japanese troops during the course of military operations some time ago. 'At about" 10.35 (Japanese time) on the morning of November 8, he said, aeroplane appeared at a point ive miles south of Waichow' Island at fan altitude of about 1200 metres.
'A Japanese plane on patrol duty over the island, the spokesman con tinued, went out and from the course of the Imperial Airways. machine it Seemed apparent. that the British ship appeared to be intent on recon nolting over the Island. On February 6, he said, the Japanese naval authorities, "through "the Japanese Consulate-General in Canton, had advised the various interested Powers that _no flying would be permitted within a fifteen mile radius of Wal-chow Island and that planes in that Vicinity would have to maintain an altitude of $00 metres.
"It is evident that the Dardanus was flying within the prescribed zone," he added. "and that she was flying above the prescribed altitude. The plane, when foreed down, had a puncture in its left tyre and so the machine was landed without damage to itself or occupants." The passengers, he went on, were taken to Canton' by a Japanese naval air transport where they. were handed over to the British Consul-General, While the two members of the crew were being detained for questioning The plane, he said, would be retuenwhen it was ina condition for fying.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.