Studious moderation is the keynote of the British protest to Japan regarding the attack on Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, the British Ambassador to China.
The demands are considered to be of such a nature that they can be fulfilled without national humiliation, It is sufficient reproof, according to British circles, that Japan should have rendered herself liable to receive such a Note at all.
There is no hint of reprisals, and it is understood that the British Government have no further action in mind should Japan {ail to comply with the requests contained in the Note. British circles consider that a refusal on the part of Japan would merely show the world finally that she was a nation without respect for any international decencies.
Regarding the forecast -that am' indemnity might be asked, it is the British Government's view that the issues are far too grave and wide for the matter to be made merely one of cash. It is felt that, in an event of such outstanding, serious inter~ national importance, it would be undignified to make any claims for compensation, No date has been fixed for the Japanese Government to reply, but the British Government hopes' that an answer will be forthcoming without delay.
Three Requests Made Three requests are made in the Note, the text of which was issued yesterday by the Foreign Office:
1, A formal apology to be conveyed by Japan to Britain, 2. Suitable punishment of those re+ sponsible for the attack, assurance by the Japanese authorities that necessary measures will be taken to prevent a. re= currence of incidents of such character, After recounting the facts of the shooting, the Note states that the British Government received, with deep distress and concern, the news of this deplorable event" in respect of which they must record their emphatic protest and request the fullest measure of redress."
"Although non-combatants, includ ing residents of the country con~ cerned," the Note proceeds, "must accept the inevitable risk of injury resulting indirectly from the normal conduct of hostilities, it is one of the oldest and best-established rules of international law that direct or deliberate attacks on non-combatants are absolutely prohibited, whether inside or outside the area in which hostilities are taking place.
"Aircraft are in' no way exempt from this rule, which applies as much to an attack from the air as to any other form of attack. Nor can a ple: of accident be accepted where the facts are such as to show, at best negligence and complete disregard for the sanctity of civilian life."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.