London, Mar. 1.
The Secretary for War, Mr. Leslie Here Belisha, stated in the House of Commons to-day that the number of Commissioned officers in the British Army who have risen from the ranks is 2,090, or about seventeen ner cent. of the total officer strength—Wireless through Reuter.
"With reference to the Great Western Road shooting incident yesterday," stated the spokesman, "one of the local maming newspapers this morning published a report to the effect that according to reliable sources a foreigner who had proceeded to the scene found no wire, which the Japanese. authorities claim was the reason for the man being shot. The Japanese military authoriies have photographs showing that there was wire, and it is not'the first time' that. this newspaper has Sacrificed the good interests of truth to gain what may be presumed ío be national ends."
A photograph of a coil of wire was placed on the table in front of the "North-China Daily News" representative, the Japanese spokesman. stating that the coil, when photographed, lay-between the British and the Japanese barricades—qhe *"North-China Daily News" informant stated that there was no wire on the scene when he arrived there. From the most reliable sources it was learned yesterday that following the incident a Chinese coolie picked up the wire, and flung it) back into Japanese territory so that it probably would not have been visible when this journal's informant. arrived on the scene, Information obtained from British military headquarters Wore out this journal's statement that) the man was shot while in Keswick Road. This fact. was definitely confirmed by Headquarters yesterday, but the Japanese spokesman stated at the morning press. conference that, the man was shot close to the second barricade, on the outer edge of the British perimeter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.