In a communication to Capt. Harada, s senior Japanese naval commanding officer in Shanghai at that time, dated November 2, 1938, Vice-Admiral Lo Bigot, Commander-in-Chief of the French naval forces in the Far East, stated that the incident referred to constituted a case of abuse of the 2iench flag by the Chinese. A warning against the repetition of such action by the Chinese, he stated, would be served by the French Embassy upon the interested Chinese officials, In his reply to Vice-Admiral Lo Bigot on November 5, 1938, Capt. Harada drew attention.to other cases of misuse of the French flag at Yochow, Hupeh, on October 31, 1938, and at Shihtai, 120 kin. south-southwest of Wuhu, in Anhwei, on November 1, 1938.
At Chefoo, however, from March 22 to March 22, 1939, a Japanese naval landing party captured nine Chinese guerillas of a band commanded by one Chang Kien, Three out of these were ascertained to be connected with the French Catholic Church there, while black powder, being transported from the church, was seized.
Then, in the attack by Japanese naval forces on Wuchengchen, Kiang-during the period of March 19 to 21, a large French flag was seen flying from a church in the central part of the town, which was heavily fortified.
When a Japanese naval landing party, however, at 1 p.m. on March 24 occupied the northern salient of Wuchengchen, the flag was seen lowered from the church, simultane-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.