Shanghai, May 6.
There were at least 50 anti-aircraft guns in positions in the western section of Chungking, which opened fire on the raiders, the Japanese spokesman asserted "at yesterday' press conference, so the pilots had no option but to defend themselves.
"Even at the risk of striking the foreign consulates" a correspondent, interjected. To which the spokesman replied that the pilots had no time to ponder whether the area was. par-Mularly dense with foreign consulates—they had to defend themselves, "If one insists that the Japanese should not have bombed the positions it would have been tantamount to the crews of planes going up and be shot at without returning ire,"
If it were such on unfortunate happening, the spokesman continued, that a bomb may have fallen on HIM. Consulate-General, it was a regretable incident, but it could not have been avoided.
He did not care to make a complete statement at the time because further reports—his own were very meagre—might not agree in all respects with earlier messages.
"Is the necessity to bomb in self defence done according to a principle?" it was asked, to which the spokesman replied that pilots were under instruction not. to" inflict un~ necessary damage on the property of third Power nationals.
"Are the orders for pilots to defend themselves regardless of damage to such properties?" The spokesman replied that he did not know the exact wording of the orders. Bombs or shells "in exploding, he continued, spread and thus might inflict damage, which was unavoidable, 'The Japanese authorities, u correspondent asked, are not responsible if consulates are struck, but consider such as regrettable and unavoidable. 'To which the spokesman replied that he was not ina position' to state where the responsibility rested, Should the anti-aircraft batteries in Chungking again open fire on Japanese raiders, it was interjected, would. the consulates again be in danger? The spokesman again reiterated that the crews fly at the risk of their lives and must take measures to defend themselves,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.