Birmingham first sought the detained merchant master's account of the incident. Ashmore was then sent to arrange for the master to visit the cruiser at 11 a.m. with the ship's log and his complaints. A Japanese customs launch initially obstructed access, although Ashmore was eventually allowed aboard. After his return, Japanese authorities raised a quarantine flag that prevented the master from making the visit. Arguments continued through the day, with both British and Norwegian consular representatives involved.
Notable Point · 4:42:56-4:43:36
A quarantine flag obstructs Birmingham's inquiry at Tsingtao
The merchant master's log and testimony became harder to obtain when a quarantine flag prevented his planned visit to Birmingham.