Shanghai, July 11.
Referring to the statement by the United States Marines, published in yesterday's papers, on the subject of arrest of the sixteen Japanese Jgendarmes, Colonel Saito, the Japan. ese Army' spokesman, dismissed. the publication as being "rather beside the point" at the Press Conference yesterday. The whole question at issue, he maintained, was not the rest itself but rather the violent a unfriendly treatment to which the Jgendarmes were subjected. "We cannot understand," he. continued, "why no reference was made to this point in the statement of the United States. Marines.
Tt was made clear at the beginning, Colonel. Saito pointed out, that the arrests were made at the request of the Shanghai Municipal Council, who Informed the Marines that there were several suspicious Japanese in plain Jelothes, believed to be gendarmes in {the sector. The acts of violence were therefore committed on the previous Jassumption that the Japanese might thave been gendarmes, "We regret 10 fay" he concluded "that such an action on the part of the United States military forces, who advocate justice, humanity and peace. cannot be considered as an action of wefl-diseiplinfed_millitary forces."
The naval spokesman then announced that Rear-Admiral. Takeda, the Commander-in-Chiel of the Japanese" Special Naval Landing Party, had also expressed his views fon the arrest, and treatment of the Bendarmes. "The violence and the Insults tothe Japanese gendarmes," the Admiral is understood to have are barbarous acts _beyond ion. That the Unites States Marines "committed such acts. fully knowing that the men were gendarmes a grave insult to the. Japanese soldiers." Speaking as a soldier himself, he stated that he was really offended by such an insult to the honour of the Japanese forces, and he "concluded by saying that he viewed the future development of the ease with the greatest concern.
Replying 10 question, the army spokesman emphatically denied that Major-General Miura, Commander Inschiet of the Japanese" Gendarmeric, had. in any' way apologized to the United States "Marines
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.