Japanese military authorities last night. denied that the would-be assassins of Mr, G. Godfrey Phillips. secretary and." commissioner-general of the Shanghai Municipal Council, were in their custody having been handed over to them by the police of. the Special Municipality Shanghai, Also denied was a newspaper report alleging " that Major-Gen. P. Keith Simmons, General Oficer Com-British Forees in the Shang: tested to the Japan-eve gendarmerie over the "attempted murder of @ British subject in the British defence sector."
The British authorities on Satur day afternoon sought to obtain the custody of the would-be assassins, who were said to be held by the Japanese authorities, by requesting the Japanese gendarmerie that they handed over. Subsequent _enquiries, Japanese military. quarters: aid Tost night, had established that the assailants of Mr. Phillips had not been captured by Special Municipality Police and consequently never placed fin the custody of the Japanese gendarmerie.
The British request was based upon information understood to have been obtained by the. British military Suthorities to the effect that the gunmen had been arrested by the! Shanghai Special Municipality Police and subsequently handed over to the Japanese gendarmerie.
The Japanese gendarmerie and the Shanghai. Special Municipality police were stated by the Japanese authori ies {0 be ce-operating fully with the Shanghai Municipal Police and other law enforcement agencies. in tracking-down the would-be assassins.
The report that the would-be sail ants had been arrested by Special Municipal Police gained wide eirculation yesterday afternoon.
Three in Custody Bon. 8. escaped. There was no. encounter of the desperadoes wits either the Settlement Police or the French Police. The men are said ty have dashed into a lane Teadivay to the "badlands" where they wer reported arrested.
A. few immutes Inter Mr. Phil walked calmly into Bubbling Road Station and reported the incident, Te lett his car with the police for examination. Then he proceeded to his office and carried on the morn-
The three Chinese gunmen who tried to assassinate Mr. G. Godfrey Phillips, Secretary and Commissioner General of the Shanghai Municipal Council, "while he was on his way from his home at 633 Avenue Haig his office downtown, were yest day said to be in the custody of the Japanese Gendarmerie at their west-fern headquarters, 94 Jessiield Road, Wwhere they had been placed by the pecial Municipality" police January 6.
2's work as if nothing had happened.
is pointed out that Mr. Phillips, who has been a leading figure in the negotiations "regarding the western extra-Settlement roads area, has 0 enemies that he knows of and. has The "North-China Daily News" understands that the. Police have Been confronted with a wall silence and denial regarding the: arrest and detention of the would: be murderers of the Settlement's not received any threatening letters. chief ofcia While it is generally He is at a loss to account for the mentioned that the three men who
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