3 Consul General Giles April 9 Report of personal experiences 7 : 28 Mr. Newton (Hankow) May 17 Recapitulates the situation, to Mr. Chen which renders his retention at Hankow both useless and undesirable. He is, therefore, leaving Hankow forthwith 30 Papers relating to the Nanking Incident of March 24 and 25, 1927. (1.) Consul-General Sir Sidney Barton to Sir Austen Chamberlain. (Telegraphic.) Shanghai, March 29, 1927. FOLLOWING is Mrs. Giles's sworn statement :— "On Thursday, 24th March, I walked over from consulate house to offices about 9:30 A.M. to see my husband. While I was there Mr. Bowker, of Asiatic Petroleum Company, came into the office and said: 'I have just seen two Cantonese soldiers on your drive and told them to get outside.' Minute or two later some other foreigner (I do not know his name) said to my husband: Do you know your house is full of Cantonese soldiers?' At that time in the office with us there were Captain Spear and Captain Heathcote, Lieutenant Oliver-Bellasis, Mrs. Roberts and Miss Blake. Men all went out to see what was happening; I and other two ladies stayed in the office. When men reached lawn which lies between office and house there were two Cantonese soldiers there. One of these levelled his rifle at my husband. Captain Spear rushed forward and knocked up rifle. At the same time other soldier fired and shot my husband just above the left knee. Several more soldiers came out of the house, and some of them fired and hit Captain Spear in the arm. Dr. Smith then came from the house, but before he could reach the men he was shot through the back and killed practically instantaneously. My husband and Captain Spear started to run to the office, and Spear was again shot in the leg. They both managed to get into the office, and we all got into the strong-room and barricaded the door inside. Soldiers then looted the office and took money out of the safe. This first batch of soldiers then left the office and we were on the point of coming out when another batch arrived. This lot called out that if we did not come out they would shoot through the door. So we came out. Three soldiers at once seized me, tore rings off my fingers, inflicting considerable pain, and snatched brooch from my dress and chain from my neck, also watch and bracelet from wrist. They took shoes from my feet and felt to see if there was anything in my stocking. They treated me with great brutality. Mrs. Roberts and Miss Blake were treated in the same manner. My husband and Spear also were robbed of everything they had in their pockets; they even took Spear's boots. These soldiers went away, and two policemen then came to assist us. Just then Mr. Huber, harbour-master, came and Wife of His Majesty's Consul-General at Nanking. 1250 10/27 F.O.P. 16528 -4083 Wt. B evidently met soldiers outside, because I saw him struggling with one in the hall. He pulled him down, and a second then shot Mr. Huber through the head. Body fell on to the floor, and they fired two more shots into him, and then they fired at us, two shots passing close to my head, one on each side. "After this soldiers went and police took us to the gate of the house. We stayed in outer rooms at first, being constantly molested by fresh batches of soldiers, until when room was clear police took us into the inner room and shut the door. This was about 11.30 in the morning. We remained in the room until 5 o'clock next afternoon. All the time up to the bombardment from the men-of-war we were constantly subjected to molestation on the part of Southern soldiers. At one time men came in with executioner's sword and held it within an inch of my husband's throat. Another man brandished a carving knife which had been looted from my house. Others attempted to tear clothes from myself and other ladies in the party. While this was going on two marines managed to slip out and get hold of Chinese officer, who managed to stop brutalities of the soldiers. Just after that bombardment started, after which we suffered no further molestation. That night whole party slept together on stone floor of the office in the outer room. We lay on quantity of hair stuffing from mattress which had been ripped open by soldiers and men [? omitted: had no] covering except my raincoat and two oil-skin coats of coolies. 66 On Thursday night my amah* brought bowl of rice and some port. We had nothing beyond this until Friday morning, when office tingchait and servants from Customs Club and Mrs. Roberts's amah brought us a little food and wine. That morning tingchai was able to get into touch with certain officials and chamber of commerce, who came to see us but were not very helpful. Chinese Red Cross, with whom Captain England, of H.M.S.Emerald,' had got in touch, brought us away in motor cars and we reached safety. "I did not personally witness wounding of my husband and Captain Spear, or murder of Dr. Smith, but details were supplied to me by eyewitnesses. I personally was subjected to brutal ill-treatment and the utmost indignity by the soldiers in uniform, who can only possibly have belonged to Nationalist army. Northern soldiers had already left Nanking the night before. Men were probably mixture of Cantonese and Hunanese. I am prepared to swear that incidents I have described were part of deliberate plan of attack on foreigners, particularly British, in Nanking, for which officers commanding Southern forces which captured Nanking should be held responsible, and I have firm conviction that nothing except fact that men-of-war in the harbour opened fire saved us from murder and possibly worse." (2.) Consul-General Sir Sidney Barton to Sir Austen Chamberlain. (Telegraphic.) "I was in the consulate house when the mob burst in at the door. They were all soldiers in uniform. They levelled their rifles at us and showed every sign of intending to shoot. We all held up our hands. With me were a number of marines who had already thrown down their rifles, as we could see it was hopeless to resist. They then looted everything we had on us, and were very angry when they found some Fengtien ammunition which we had kept as souvenirs. They knew there was ammunition in the office, and they took me and one marine across to get it. As we went shots were fired indiscriminately by soldiers in the compound. I did not see the shooting of Dr. Smith, which happened before we left the house. In the office everything was in complete disorder, safe rifled and papers all over the place. Door of strong-room was closed, and soldiers demanded that I should produce the key. I said I had not got it, whereupon four soldiers levelled rifles and said they were going to shoot. At that moment strong-room door opened and Captain Spear stumbled out with hands up, calling out in Chinese not to shoot. He was followed by Mr. Giles, and after him came Mrs. Giles, Miss Blake and Mrs. Roberts. Soldiers immediately looted everything from the persons of all five foreigners. First batch of soldiers then left, and immediately after another lot came. They demanded the key of one of the doors which was locked and threatened to shoot if it was not produced. Mrs. Roberts got the key and opened the door. Soldiers went into the room, and we were left alone except for one policeman, who tried to prevent them shooting. Soldiers came out again and again looted us; they took away my shoes. They were just leaving when we heard a great noise outside, and Mr. Huber came in struggling with two soldiers. Another soldier deliberately shot him in the head while he was struggling with the others. He fell on to the floor, and several others fired into his body. One soldier, swinging round, fired, and the shot went just over our heads. All then left the room except the policeman, who told us they were Cantonese of Kuo Min-tang army. We then decided to try and get away, and helped wounded to the gate, where we got two rickshaws, but much shooting was going on all round and we decided it would not be safe to pass through the streets. Policeman advised us to get into the gate-house, which we did. Parties of soldiers kept coming in and molesting and looting us. A man with an executioner's sword threatened consul-general and made a slash at my foot, which I was just able to avoid. I saw Miss Blake being molested by two soldiers, who had their hands inside her clothes. [16528] In the employ of a British firm at Nanking. B 3 66 When we were at the gate I noticed that the roads were full of Chinese merchant class and shopkeepers and coolies, who were watching the proceedings with interest. These people seemed to be very distressed at the whole business, but it was obvious that they were not at all afraid of having their shops looted; in other words, they appeared to know that the soldiers were concentrating their attack solely on foreigners. Local police did what they could to assist us, and several times intervened to save our lives. I have had considerable acquaintance with both Sun's troops and also with Fengtien soldiers, and there can be no question that the various batches of soldiers by whom we were attacked belonged to the Southern forces. The Northern soldiers allowed me to pass through them freely on Wednesday, when they were retreating, and so far as I know there was not a single instance of them entering foreign premises. On Thursday I had breakfast at Mr. Ritchie's house, and about 8:30 he and I walked to the custom-house, about 100 yards, and the street was full of both Southern and Fengtien soldiers. All firing had stopped, and latter were being rounded up by Southerners. We experienced no trouble of any kind. We got to consulate, and we were all satisfied that danger was past, as any danger anticipated had been from the retreating Fengtien soldiers. We were taken completely by surprise when attack by Southerners began." (3.) Nanking Outrages: Report of Personal Experiences from March 23 to 25 by Consul-General Giles. Sir, H.M.S." Emerald," at Nanking, I HAVE the honour to give below an account of my personal experiences during the attack on foreign lives and property by the Southern troops on the 24th and 25th March. I regret that it has been so long delayed owing to weakness as a result of my wound. 2. As soon as it became clear that the Northern troops had been definitely beaten and must inevitably retreat through or past the city to the river and across to Pukow, I made arrangements, in conjunction with Captain England, of H.M.S. "Emerald," for evacuating to Shanghai all the children remaining in Nanking and as many women as were desirous of leaving. As reported in my telegram of the 22nd March, six women remained behind, of whom five were in the city and one in Hsiakwan. Of the five in the city, three were in the consulate, one close by, and one in the Ginling College-an American institution. What I chiefly apprehended was that the Fengtien troops, in their retreat, would loot indiscriminately, chiefly from Chinese, although possibly foreign persons and establishments might also be involved to some extent. |