Atrocities in Nanking

Since Japan took possesion of Naking late last year there has been word of many grizzly events in the city. Up until today, there had been nothing official.

The International Committee is a group of American, British, and German businessmen, missionaries, physicians and academics living in Nanking and led by German businessman, John Rabe. Despite the dangers involved, these men and their families have remained behind in Nanking. They are responsible for the Safety Zone. It was established in the city on November 22nd of last year. The Safety Zone, which is about the size of New York City's Central Park, was not shelled during combat.

Today, the committee forwarded 450 cases of disorder to the Japanese embassy. Among these cases are reports of bayoneted civilians and rape.

«Case 5- On the night of December 14th, there were many cases of Japanese soldiers entering houses and raping women or taking them away. This created panic in the area and hundreds of women moved into the Gingling College campus yesterday.»

«Case 10- On the night of December 15th, a number of Japanese soldiers entered the University of Nanking buildings at Tao Yuen and raped 30 women on the spot, some by six men.»

«Case 13 - December 18, 4 p.m., at No. 18 I Ho Lu, Japanese soldiers wanted a man's cigarette case and when he hesitated, one of the soldier crashed in the side of his head with a bayonet. The man is now at the University Hospital and is not expected to live.»

«Case 14 - On December 16th, seven girls (ages ranged from 16 to 21) were taken away from the Military College. Five returned. Each girl was raped six or seven times daily- reported December 18th.»

«Case 15 - There are about 540 refugess crowded in # 83 and 85 on Canton Road. (...) More than 30 women and girls have been raped. The women and children are crying all nights. Conditions inside the compound are worse than we can describe. Please give us help.»

«Case 16- A Chinese girl named Loh, who, with her mother and brother, was living in one of the Refugee Centers in the Refugee Zone, was shot through the head and killed by a Japanese soldier. The girl was 14 years old. The incident occurred near the Kuling Ssu, a noted temple on the border of the Refugee zone (...)»

«Case 19 - January 30th, about 5 p.m. Mr. Sone (of the Nanking Theological Seminary) was greeted by several hundred women pleading with him that they would not have to go home on February 4th. They said it was no use going home they might just as well be killed for staying at the camp as to be raped, robbed or killed at home. (...) One old woman 62 years old went home near Hansimen and Japanese soldiers came at night and wanted to rape her. She said she was too old. So the soldiers rammed a stick up her. But she survived to come back.»

The German Government Restructures

The German government reorganized the military and diplomatic command in Germany yesterday.

Werner von Blomberg, Minister of War, and Werner von Fritsch, Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht, stepped down from office.

Chancellor Hitler announces he is personally taking over command of the German armed forces and assumed the Ministry of War portfolio . In the meantime, General Wilhelm Keitel became his representative at the Supreme Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht: OKW).

General Heinrich Brauschitsch became the new Wehrmacht commander-in-chief . In the Foreign Office, Joachim von Ribbentrop replaced Constantin von Neurath as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

As a result of these personnel changes, both the army and diplomatic corps, formerly led by moderates, come under the direct control of the National Socialist Party - the Nazi Party.