CHINA, To the Editor of the "Nortu-Cama Ditty News."
Sin,—I trust that you will not refuse to publish in your columns as soon as possible the following address which it had been my intention to deliver to the meeting held on the 15th instant at jthe Russian Workers' Bureau. The meeting was called, by its organ-izars, in the name -of the Russian Colony of Shanghai; but in spite of this, and of the existing frecdom of speech in Russia, that meeting did not extend to me the possibility of pronouncing my opinions.
"To me, and I think to all at the present meeting, it would be very interesting to know upon what authority and under instructions of what government you consider yourselves entitled to decide questions concerning the introduction of a control over the Russo-Asiatic Bank and the Russian Consulate-General in, Shanghai. No government has given you any such orders and it would be difficult to imagine that any government could give similar instruetions to a mere handful of people, 9 per cent. of whom are entirely unknown to the real Russian colony of Shanghai and are favoured with no popularity whatever by that latter body.
"Together the Russian residents of Shanghai at the present time total some three to four thousand people. At this meeting are pre sent not more than '150 people, amo: om one may hardly count more than 13 permanent residents. Moreover, of those present. only 30 or 60 have taken part in the yoting, the others have held back and confined. themselves solely to listening to the words of the orators. In what manner, then, can this meeting consider itself a legal interpreter of the desires of the whole Russian colony?
"No, citizens, the present meeting cannot adopt any resolution in the name of the Russian Colony, nor can any election carried out by the meeting be recognized as. legal. It is not even our business to decide such questions. I presume that the Russian Government, without our assistance, will decide the question of its diplomatic and consular representation abroad. If the Government desires to hear the opinions of the local colony upon such matters it will itself assemble the latter and give "To us it remains only to follow attentively events taking place at Homie. and to wish for the quickened advance of peace and tranquility in the land of our birth which has for three years home all the horrors of interned cine strife and has been watered with the blood of our brothers. I cannot. therefore, do otherwise than join wholeheartedly with the words of Mr. Tarasoff. who has said plainly that here is no place for the making of such decisions, and that those who wish to engage in alities must go back to Russia."
Thanking you in advance for your kindness, am, ete, J.' Luaovor. Shanghai, Feb. 17.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.