The blockade of China territorial waters enforced by Vice-Admirs Kiyoshi Hasegawa, former Common: der-in-Chief of the Japanese China Sea Fleet, will be continued by Vieo-Admiral Koshiro Oikawa, new Commander-in-Chief of the China Sea Fleet, the latter announced yesterday.
With his assumption of command yesterday morning Vice-Admiral Oikawa sent circular notes to. the commanders-in-Chief of foreign fleets that a grave view is being taken of the Seizure of the British ship. Meanwhile, further details were forthcoming yesterday of the eireumstances under which the Tungwo was detained. She was working cargo Haimen prior to being seized, and was held by the Japanese military while they were conducting opera-ons against irregulars in the vicinly. The Tungwo lay at anchor! while a Japanese armed picket boat} proceeded up the creek close to Haimen to engage Chinese irregulars.
was at this point, when fire was being exchanged between the picket Goat and the Chinese troops ashore that the Japanese came to the conclusion that a shot had been fired at them from the Tungwo.
A party of Japanese soldiers then boarded the vessel, and insisted that someone aboard had fired a shot at them. Confronted by the skipper, Captain 8. Schofield, with a plan of the ship, they were' unable to point out from which part of the ship the: shot was alleged to have been fired. The Tungwo was then ordered to up anchor, and, escorted by the armed picket boat, was foreed to proceed. to the town of Tsungming, -on the southern part of the island, where she was held until urgent representa-lone from the British authorities effected her release.
While lacking official information on the subject, spokesmen for Japanese Army and Embassy stated yesterday morning that they believed the Tungwo had been released by the Japanese military authorities after a brief detention at Tsungming Island. Both spokesmen simultaneously asked foreign ships to refrain Japanese army was carrying out "mopping up" operations.
May 2.
Completing a term of strenuourduty' here, Vice-Admini Kiyoshi Hasegawa, the outgoing Commander-in-Chief of the Japanese China Sea Fleet, on Saturday told Japanese reporters he hud "lived a lifetime" in the past 15 months, The interview was granted soon after the officer transferred command of the Fleet to his, successor, Vice~ Admiral Koshiro Oikawa, aboard the much-bombed flagship Idzumo, "I assumed command of the Third Fleet in December, 1996," _Viee~ Admiral Hasegawa told the news-Papermen in what was probably one his last press interviews in China, First reports of the Lukouchiao incident, of last July, found me off Formosa, where the Fleet was en aged in' manquvres. I immediately rushed to the Whangpoo, where for a month I watched the muddy river Until the frst shots were fired, "During the subsequent hostilities the Idzumo has been repeatedly Joombed and shelled, thanks to Emperor and God, there were no direct hits. Once the vessel shuddered, os Chinese aerial bombs landed in the Fiver nearby, but this was the frst and the last experience of that sort, "Living on Frying Pat During all the months that war ged in and near Shanghai, I slept n my uniform, ever ready for action. 'During the summer months, 1 felt as if T was living on a frying pan, since all the: portholes had to be shut, tight because of air raid precautions. It was easier to bear the dimeulties for' me. than for. the soldiers and bluejackets in the front Tines.
"The outstanding impression of hostilities here was the strength and courage of the Japanese sailors and soldiers, who did their duly without word of complaint. 1 was happy to have subordinates in whom T could ul full trust," the new Commander of the Yokosuka naval base concluded,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.