893.102S/1917: Telegram
The Consul General at Shanghai (Gauss) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 21—11:14 a.m.]
924. Yesterday evening three Chinese gunmen shot and wounded a Siang [Sikh] policeman of the Settlement police force on traffic duty of an extra-Settlement road in the western area and to facilitate their escape also shot and killed a Chinese constable who was standing near by. Police of the Chinese special municipality of Shanghai are reported to have been present just before the incident but disappeared when the shooting commenced. No arrests have been made nor is the identity of the gunmen known but in view of the deliberate nature of the attack and the threats reported to have been made by the police of the Chinese municipality to seize this and other traffic posts on the western extra-Settlement roads, the Settlement police authorities are inclined to believe that the attack was perpetrated by agents of that municipality. Strong Settlement police detachments are now patrolling the extra-Settlement roads in the western [Page 96] area. The British military authorities who for some time have maintained a few patrols in this area ordered out strong patrols immediately after the incident and it is understood will establish posts at some of the more important traffic intersections.
Repeated to Chungking, Peiping, Tokyo.