17 Sep 1922: The Brave Stance of the Japanese, Embros

smyrna japan vessel

A Japanese flagged ship (most likely the Tokei-Maru) at Smyrna in September 1922.

The following news piece was translated from an article in the Greek newspaper EMBROS. The article was published on page 1 under the main title 'The Slaughterhouse of Smyrna.'

THE BRAVE STANCE OF THE JAPANESE
JAPANESE PHILANTHROPY

Embros newspaper
September 4, 1922
(September 17 on the Gregorian calendar).

     It's worth emphasizing the philanthropic
and brave stance of the captain of the
Japanese ship  Tokei-Maru  after it managed
to save 825 refugees of Greek ethnic origin
who were being subjected to Turkish threats.
     The Japanese captain, who was moved
by the wild massacres and the appeals of the
refugees, sent all the ship's lifeboats to take
as many refugees as was possible.   After
surrounding the lifeboats, an officer of the
Kemalist Army then threatened to sink them.
     The Japanese captain, who was personally
troubled by this, then declared to the Kemalist
officers, that if even one single hair follicle of
the refugees were touched, he would consider
it an insult to the   Japanese flag and the
Japanese    Government would    demand
immediate compensation.
     As a result of this threat, the Kemalists
consulted with their leaders and were obliged
to let the refugees board the Japanese ship.