Foreign mission property in Kashing was destroyed during the Japanese attack on that city, belated foreign reports arriving in Shanghai by an extremely circuitous route reveal The foreign accounts state that the bombing of the missions, though deliberate, was in error and the damage done was actually owing to the extreme care shown by the pilots not to hit anything but Chinese Government property.
A number of foreign missionaries remained in Kashing during the attacks on that city, and they one and all give full credit to the Japanese aviators for their excellent aiming, bombs falling near to the missions, but—at first—without putting the missions in any actual danger. Indeed, the accuracy of the bombing was amazing, the "North-China Daily News" was informed.
Unfortunately, however, intrigue stepped into the affair. A number of Chinese "traitors," according to these foreigners, agreed to help the Japanese capture the city by placing certain inconspicuous but recognise able marks on all government and army buildings, enabling the Japanese aviators to define their objectives and thus bomb points of military value only.
Signs Changed Whether the "traitors" had a change of heart, or whether their plot was discovered, is not known, but the fact remains, state these foreign reports, that unknown to the missionaries, these markings were actually placed, not on the government and military buildings, but on the mission property. This was not discovered until it was all over.
As usual, Japanese bombers made their appearance over the city a day or so later, and proceeded to drop their loads over the missions, which had to be hastily evacuated; the extent of any casualties, particularly among the Chinese refugees, is not known. Bombs were dropped on that occasion on nowhere but the mission properties.
Later, when the Japanese occupied the city, they were amazed to learn that they had bombed the missions, and at first could not account for the mistake, for all such property had been clearly marked on maps supplied to the aviators, who had been meticulously careful in their bombing. The discovery of the secret marks on the buildings, however, solved the mystery.
City's Present. Condition At the Japanese press conference j, the Embassy, spokesman Said that he had no information concerning the mission properties in Kashing He had received a short report, however, from a consular officer who had just returned, to the effect that about one-quarter of the city had been destroyed.
Sr Kasnings pre-hostility population of 100,000 people, only about 8,000 to 9,000 remained; others were returning, however, at the rate of from 900 to 400 daily. The telephone, light and power services had been restored, and small shops and markets were now open.
The Japanese army, he went on, had opened a refugee home which now housed about a hundred old people and children who had nowhere to go, while two Italian Fathers were still in Kashing looking after their 50 to 60 converts.
Kashing, incidentally, had surplus supplies of rice and vegetables, but was suffering from a shortage of shing City Autonomous Commission to bring the surplus stocks to Shanghai to sell or exchange for the commodities needed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.