§ Colonel DAYasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can give full particulars of any raids that have taken place against British vessels on the Yangtse river during the last month; and whether any fatalities have occurred amongst the British officers or crews during these raids?
§ Sir A. CHAMBERLAINFull particulars of the raid on steamship "Siangtan" were given in my reply to the hon. Member on the 14th December. A further incident occurred on the 14th December, when about 50 bandits boarded a British tug towing lighters 45 miles below Shasi, demanding a foreigner for ransom. Finding none, they shot the 35W Chinese supercargo through the thigh, looted various property and took the Chinese captain and engineer of the tug as hostages. The tug then cut its tow and fled down the river. His Majesty's Ship "Bee" proceeded in chase and came upon two Chinese tugs which had been seized the previous day by bandits. The bandits, however, escaped into the reeds, but one man was found on one of the tugs with property stolen from the British lighters, and is to be brought to Hankow for trial. There appear to have been no fatalities among the British officers or crew in this raid.