Shanghai, Apr. 27. ERRORISTS chose another field for their activities yesterday, as hundreds of Japanese, enjoying a well earned holiday at the Towa and Ritz Theatres, both situated near the intersection of Chapoo and Hai 1 Roads, were thrown panic as explosions sent fifteen of their number to various Japanese hospitals shortly after 3.40 o'clock, Among those injured were three bluejackets and a woman.
None, however, sustained fatal injuries.
The time bombs, it was believed, had been placed at the cinemas by members of one gang, since both of them had been set for 3.40 p.m.
The picture was halt way through at the Ritz Theatre when the explosion rent the alr, Panic-stricken, spectators started rushing out as the management put the lights on, The Lighted theatre presented an. ext-a~ ordinary sight as many rushed the oxus, while In the middle of the theatre ten Japanese, including one woman, were shrieking with pain. Two rows of seals wore blasted by the explosion, At the same time, and not more than a hundred steps away, another time bomb went off at the Towa Theatre, leading Japanese cinema. house th Shanghai. The missile, ac~ cording to investigations, was placed at approximately the same place as in the Ritz, in the middle of the theatre, Tt was at this cinema that the three bluejackets were wounded. They were immediately taken to the Japanese naval hospital. The other injured men were civilians.
Parties of Japanese Naval forces were at the seenes of Lombings less than five minutes later and threw a cordon, surrounding the entire Chapoo, Haining, North Szechuen and Woosung Road' area, stopping all Chinese and searching them thorough-before allowing them to proceed. All the bridges over the Soochow and Hongkew Creeks. wore closed at About 3.50 pin, and all tram, includ ing Japanese buses, was suspended, Search parties operated practically every part of the Hongkew and eastern "districts over the Soochow Greek, but although every Chinese Was searched, no one was arrested. Up toa Infe hour yesterday, the Shanghai Municipal Police had detained no one, although it was said that the Japaneve Naval Landing Party had taken several Chinese for Questioning. This, however, could not be confirmed,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.