The details of the incident are given in the annex as translated from the
various reports received by the Imperial Government from their army in
Manchuria.
Besides bringing the above to the notice of your government, I am further
instructed to request their good offices in instructing the United
States ambassador at St. Petersburg to call serious attention of the
Russian Government to this grave violation of the stipulations of the
Red Cross convention by their troops in Manchuria.
[Inclosure.]
résumé of the official reports on the attack
of the japanese military field hospital at “ee-chia-wo-pong,” in
the province of feng-tien, by a body of the russian cavalry, on
may 18, 1905.
About 10.40 a.m. of the 18th sound of rifle fire was heard in the
westerly direction of the hospital. Seeing the approach of danger,
the superintendent of the hospital immediately ordered its
withdrawal, and at about 11.10 a.m. four hospital wagons and the
majority of the hospital corps sought refuge in the easterly
direction. Surgeon Uyehara, superintendent of the hospital, together
with Doctors Inouye and Fukuyama, military hospital nurses, and
soldiers charged with the transportation of the hospital equipments,
stores, and other materials commenced retreat. Thereupon a body of
the enemy’s cavalry, about 100 strong, surrounded “Ee-chia-wo-pong”
and fiercely fired upon the withdrawing party. The hospital
superintendent and party, being pursued by the enemy, retreated
toward the village in the easterly direction. The enemy having
already approached within the distance of only 10 meters, the
superintendent and Doctor Inouye, who were mounted, narrowly
escaped, but Doctor Fukuyama and military hospital nurse Sakai fell
victims of the pursuers.
Military hospital nurse Kobayashi, who escaped the calamity by hiding
himself in a hollow in the ground found near by and who personally
witnessed the said incident, made the following statement concerning
the attack of the Russian troops upon Doctor Fukuyama and military
hospital nurse Sakai:
Doctor Fukuyama was overtaken by the enemy. Thereupon the doctor, as
if he had made up his mind for the worst, sat down on the ground and
pointed to his arm badge of neutrality. In spite of this the enemy
cut the doctor down from the head with sword and felled him to the
ground.
The military nurse Sakai, being likewise surrounded by the enemy,
pointed to his arm badge of neutrality. Thereupon the enemy made
gestures as if to indicate that they permitted him to proceed
forward, and watching the moment of unguardedness on the part of the
nurse, they gave a blow on the head with sword and the victim fell
down upon the ground. He saw these two men fall, but could not say
whether they were dead or not. He saw, further, that several of the
soldiers, charged with commissariat duty of the hospital corps, were
attacked in the same way, but could not give detailed accounts.
[Page 619]
According to the statements of the natives, the Russians cut off the
head and upper limbs of Doctor Fukuyama and threw his body in a
wagon and carried it away. The cap and the girdle cloth were found
on the spot where the attack took place, the former being badly
damaged on the top.
Summing up the general results of the attack, the enemy attacked our
defenseless and nonresisting hospital corps, seized or burned the
greater portion of the hospital equipment, stores, and other
materials, and out of 6 officers and 45 men severely wounded 2,
killed 5 (bodies recovered, showing sword cut from the head), and
made the fate of 41, including Doctor Fukuyama, unknown.
The enemy, while escorting to their headquarters, robbed money,
watches, and other treasures of our men and took away their Red
Cross arm badges.
