Shanghai, Jan. 27.
WO days after the N.Y.K, passenger liner, Asama Maru, was boarded by a British naval party and 21 Germans were removed to a British cruiser, the Indo-China Steam Navigation Company's Wingsang, was stopped by a Japanese warship, boarded by an officer and naval ratings and held for over 15 hours before allowed to proceed on her voyage.
This news was revealed for the first time in Shanghai yesterday when the Wingsang arrived in port from Hongkong. The boarding of the vessel, it was revealed, had taken place on the evening of Jan, 23, three miles south of Matsu Island, the Wingsang being on her regular trip from Hongkong to Shanghai at the time.
According to Capt. S. J. Barden, master of the Jardine vessel, who made a report 10 his employers and the British naval and Consular authorities. shortly after his arrival here, the ship was proceeding at her usual speed off Matsa Island when she was signalled at 836 pin. on Jan, '23 by" the Japanese warship, which wag believed to be a mine-laying destroyer, Two shots The Wingsang stopped at once, At 582 pin, a blank shot was fred yeres her bows and this was followed two minutes Inter by another shot, despite the fact that the vessel had stopped. The Japanese vessel then ordered the Wingsang to anchor and this, was done at 608 pin, Tt is not known whether the shots fired were blanks or not but investigations are being made to determine th Then another order came from the warship for the Wingsang to close in, This was obeyed and the Wiogvang anchored again gt 0.3. Nearly an hour later—at 7.05 pim—one officer, accompanied by an interpreter who, spoke Chinese, believed to be either 8 Korean or a Formosan, and 21 aval ratings, all armed, boarded the lone funnel, he added. Two shots were fired, he said, although the ship halted Immediately the signal iwas received from the destroyer. [The captain continued that his vessel was travelling at about 14 knots and at this speed it would take the ship Some "te, to come to a, standatil which, perhaps, accounted for {fact that two shots were fired.
The engines were reversed on his Jorders but this did not prevent the ship from proceeding a little dis tance forward. The frst boarding party, he continued, consisted of one officer, 20. men, one signaller and Jone petty offer, with an interpreter. jAtter boarding the signaller kept in communication with the destroyer from the deck of the Wingsang.
Capt. Barden continued that at about 11.30, or Inter, the boarding party left the ship, having been on Board since about 7 pin. On the following morning the officer again boarded the ship at 7.45 and left soon afterwards. While the ship was being detained, the captain revealed, the Norwegian vessel, Sandviken, passed on her way to Shanghai but no messages were exchanged.
Third Time The ship's register was produced en Capt. Barden's, orders and was shown to the boarding officer, Capt. Barden was then questioned and was told that the boarding officer was going to search the ship. Capt. Barden protested against this but the ship was searched for about halt an hour. No cargo, however, was examined and the captain was again questioned after the search.
Asama Maru Reference Capt. Barden was then asked ey the boarding emeer if he hed "heard about the Asama Maru," to which he replica that he had not," The boarding ameer then pointed out that the Asama Maru had been stopped a British warship and 20 German passengers had been taken off, Next the boarding ofoer asked for a written statement to the effect that the captain had given permission to search the ship but this was refused. Capt. Barden replied that he would willing to give a statement to the effect that the ship had been search~ ed by a Japanese armed force under protest. At 1145, the boarding officer eft the ship afler giving the captain fan order that the Wingsang should not leave, If she did so, he said, the Japanese ship would fire on her.
At midnight on January 23 the Wingsang asked permission to sail but this request was refused by the Japanese ship. Again at 605 a.m. on the following: day permission to sail was again asked and once more was met with a refusal. At 745 am, the was pointed out that this was the third time the Wingsang had been stopped by Japanese warships Jduring her eighteen months of life—the ship was built in August 1998 In' Hongkong. During the search, it was revealed, the Chief OMcer, Mr. J. C. Littler, accompanied the Japan-jose party. The ship's purser, 'Mr. IT. J. Garlick, @ native of Victoria, }B.C., refused to allow the Japanese to see the affeers' or other cabins Jor the ship's passenger lst until he received orders from Capt. Barden, who explained that the ship, at the time she was stopped, carried 634 people, including crew.
The Second oflcer of the Wingsang is Mr. A. G. E. Gilroy, and the third officer, Mr. J. J. Tait. The IChiet Engineer is Mr. "H. D. 1a. After her arrival here at about 7 Jam. yesterday the Wingsang berthed Jat the Roosevelt Termi
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.