London, July 13.
Three Chinese aboard—British-owned tighters had been wounded at Tientsin last Monday when 0 Japanese soldier dred at a native boat attempting to escape detention and Instead hit the British vessels, Mr, R.A. Butler, Parliamentary 'Under-Secretary for' Foreign Affairs, declared in the House of Commons today, He "ma course of a reply to a question from. Mr. Neil Maclean, Labour M.P, for Govan, Glasgow, who asked ther the Premlet, Mr, Neville Chamberlain, had any Information "regard. ing firing on a British tugboat, the Saxon, at Tientsin on Monday' by Japanese soldiers."
Mr, Maclean also wished to know whether the Premier would take steps to "inform the Japanese authorities that these incidents must cease,"
'Mr. Butler replied, "Lord Halifax' (the Foreign Secretary) reports do not indicate that any British tugboat hag been fired on by a Japanese soldier.
"Certain lighters belonging to the British owner of the Taku Tug and. Lighter Company were struck, howevge, Three Chinese were wounded.
firing appears to have been caused by a native boat which had been under detention by the Japan-nese and which' was making its escape and tying up to one of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.