Shanghai, May 4. FORMAL protests were being lodged yesterday by the British military authorities and the Senior Naval Officer with the Japanese authorities in connection with an incident on the Garden Bridge yesterday morning, when " British army sergeant was twice seized by the arm by a Japanese military policeman after the latter attempted {0 force a motor lorry containing British naval stores fo return to Hongkew.
No further steps beyond the filing of the protests is contemplated at the moment, it is understood.
The incident occurred at about 8.15 am, when a motor lorry, driven by Chinese chauffeur inthe employ of the naval contractor, stopped at the barrier of the middle of the Garden Bridge, 'The lorry contained British naval stores, which were being taken from a' godown in the: Hongkew district to the French Bund, where they were to be placed on a' British ship and taken "down to. Hongkong. Seated beside the Griver was a British naval rating while the motor lorry—one of two which make frequent journeys to snd fro across the Garden Bridge—few a small Union Jack.
'A Mapanese gendarme mounted the step on the lorry and after examining the pass issued to the Chinese driver by the Japanese naval authorities, promptly' confiscated and told the driver to return to Hongkew. The naval rating, however, after expostulating with the gendarme, instructed the driver to} proceed down to the gate of the British Consulate,.where two men of the Seaforth Highlanders were stationed on sentry duty.
The Japanese gendarme remained in the lorry as it drove down the bridge and as it stopped in front the sentries called the Japanese hhaval sentries down from the bridge, at the same time reiterating his "order" that the lorry return to Hongkew.
'After a short discussion, the s geant in charge of the' Seaforth Highlanders party jon duty at. the Consulate told the driver of the lorry to proceed on to his destination, without his pass, which the gendarme continued to retain, jaunt Pulled About This was done, under extreme protest from the Japanese, who thereupon tried to get the British sergeant to go with him either to the Garden Bridge or into Hongkew—it isnot quite certain which he intended. The sergeant refused to do so, and the gendarme, considerably excited by this time, twice caught hold of the sergeant by the arm and tried drag him towards the bridge.
The British soldier resisted the attempts of his smaller adversary and the quard was turned out, with xed bayonets. After a few moments, rea son prevailed and the Japanese returned to the Garden Bridge, Later.in the morning, a British naval officer proceeded to make gri official call on the headquarters of the Japanese Naval Landing Party, where he was handed back the con: Aeented pass, It ig understood that in reply. to his question as to. the reason for the gendarme having token the action he did, the Japanese reply was that the gendarme thought he saw a "case of ammuni tion" In the lorry.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.