You asked me if missionary families may safely return to thole stations inland? There is still unrest all around, and as there is nothing to be gained by unneces: sary haste, I think it would be better to avoid risks. It seems safe enough in Shantung, but were anything to happen to the Gorenor, Yuan Shih-kai, the position of the men who nave resumed work might be less secure. The personality of a Governor or Viceroy has much to do with the attitude of both officials and people, and therefore the decision to reoccupy places inland ought to be determined at this juncture, not by the accident of the presence of friendly Governor, but by the known conditions of the locality. There is more or loss. disturbance everywhere, and I think it would net only be prudent to wait till things settle, but also unjust to missionaries to decide otherwise.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.