Carrying naval personnel from Bvitish gunboats in Hankow and a number of British civilian passengers, the Jardine Matheson steamer Suiwo and the Butterfield & Swire s. Wuling sailed from the Wuhan port on Sunday for Shanghai it was revealed at the Japanese press conference yesterday. As reported in the "North-China Daily News" the s, Suiwo and the s, Wuhu left Shanghai for Hankow last month with naval reliefs and civilian passengers, the Wuhu relieving the s. Wuling, which had been bottled up in the port, on her arrival.
In connection with the departure of the two British ships, which were escorted by a British gunboat, other third party nationals left Hankow yesterday in two Japanese transports, the s. Tachibana Marp and the s. Naruto Maru, a Japanese Navy spokesman revealed. These comprised eighteen non-Britons, he said, there being two Americans, one German, one Frenchman and two Italians in the Tachibana Maru while the Naruto Maru carried nine White Russians and three Americans, seven of the latter party being women.
Included in the parties were Mr. Stephens, American Consul in Ha kow. M. Picot, French Consul, and Dr. Delfatore, an Italian doctor. All the passengers were being brought to Shanghai because they had absolute necessity to make the trip and on the understanding that, with the exception of the Consular officials, they would not return to Hankow, it was stated.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.