Questioned at the press conference yesterday, the naval spokesman Stated that when HLMLS. Birmingham arrived in Tsingtao, oticers of the Vessel conferred with the Japanese command. regarding the release of the St. Vincent do Paul. Subsequently, the Captain of FINS. Birmingham and HM. Consul called upon the Commissioner of Customs to discuss the matter. The latter was a Tapanese, it was averred, Was the ship released by the Customs at the order of the competent Japanese authority? i was Asked. The reply was in the negative, whereupon It) way asked on whose Instructions did the Customs release the vessel. In reply it was said that the order was issued on the initia-ye of the Customs. whether the British and Japanese considered the incident closed or were the British protesting waist her seizure, the spokesman retorted that he had no information, tdding. that conversations were proceeding between the British and Sapanese authorities in Shanghai In. reply to a correspondent, was stated that no-one had Inform: tion whether the Norwegian. vessels had been released, but the Embassy spokesrian added that the Norwenion interests in Shanghai had made representations to. the Japanese Con.
(e-General here.
Why was the British vessel res tensed so promptly and the procedure With the other two continued 20 Slowly?" it) was asked, the reply being, "presumably because the investigations of the St. Vincent de Paul had been completed."
"Are. the Japanese authorities satisfied that the British vessel was hot smuggling?" was another ques-MWe have no information."
The St, Vincent de Paul, which was formerly chartered to a Chinese Firm, hig been making regular runs from Shanghai to Funing, " port up gine of the former mouths of the Yellow River. Her cargo generally consists of teneral merchandise and colton which she toads at Funing for despateh to Shanghai, it was re= vealed yesterday, According to A Japanese report. te Customs cruiser acted on the information that three ships, which were riding at anchor at the mouth a dhe Shayangkiank, halfway between Shanghai and Tsingtao, Were unloading, munitions. Proceed~ to. the spot which is about 300 Kilometres. north of the Yangtze estuary, the cruiser "arrested" the three ships and escorted them to 'Tsingtao, "The vessels, the report adds, were surrounded by junks Into which they were unloading Kerosene, matches and paper and "some other articles," the nature of which was not divulged. Whether or not it was true that they' were carrying, arms and ammunition Would not_be known until after in
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