Some astonishment has been expressed atthe report that has been current that H. E. Sheng, Director of Railways, etc., ete., has been endeavouring to effect insurance against loss by civil commotion on his property in Shanghai. It has been pointed out to him by one of our leading Consuls-General that if he knew trouble was imminent, he should inform the Consuls ut once so that they might adopt the necessary measures to avert it, whereas his reported action rather tended to foment trouble. We believe that ILE. explained that he was closing his cotton mills on the Point Road, and that he feared the operatives might make some trouble, and this was what he was trying to provide for, not that he had any apprehension of general trouble ut Shanghai.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.