Three methers of the Japanese Consular Police in plain clothes, accompanied by a Chinese, kidnapped a Chinese printing-shop owner in the International Settlement yesterday morning, bundled him into a Japanese hire-car with a pile of books and articles printed by him, went to the Japanese Consulate-General in Hongkew where they questioned him for hours, and released him only when the Settlement Police traced them across the Soochow Creek by means of the licence number of the hire-car used. No effort was made by the Japanese concerned to enlist the cooperation of the Settlement Police, which has a large Japanese branch including a "Special Political Office," nor did the Japanese Consular Police attempt to notify the command of the United States Fourth Marines, in whose Defence Sector the printing-shop is situated.
The kidnapping took place shortly after 10 o'clock yesterday morning at 1128 Avenue Foch, near the intersection of Hardoon Road. The three Japanese and their Chinese accomplice went to the printing-shop conducted there by Mr. Mao Shu-ching, arriving in a hire-car belonging to the Shanghai Express Garage, 100 Chapoo Road, a Japanese enterprise. They spent some time on the premises searching through the stock from which they selected a large quantity of books, pamphlets and printing materials. All these they loaded into the hire-car and finally put Mr. Mao himself in the vehicle and drove off.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.