Peking, Dec, 26.
It may be remembered that some weeks ago your correspondent sent in the summary of an interview which he had had with a Professor Golovatchev, who holds the chair of International Law in Vladivostok University, and that by way of introduction it was explained that this learned Russian jurist was quoted at some length because his opinions seemed to represent a singular ly detached and unbiassed class of Russian opinion, At the time the writer considered this rather an unimportant side issue from the routine business of running about Peking collecting Chinese official scandal; but the various translations and reports of the interview which have been given in Siberia would seem to indicate that in the North opinions upon Russia's ultimate fate are taken with painful seriousness and that Pre-lessor Golovatchev's expression of opinion is a matter of moment in the Russian Far East.
In the first place the Dalta News Agency, the Communist propaganda organ. in the Far East, took the trouble to mistranslate and misquote the interview as it appeared in the "North-China Daily News." In a wire to the~ Dalta headquarters, dated December 12, the Peking correspondent quoted what appeared in the '"North-China Daily News" and informed his northern colleagues that Professor Golovatchev has said that he, as well as the majority of Russians, looked forward ta a complete triumph for the "Far Eastern—Republic." A Harbin paver. the Svet" picked up this despatch in the issue of December 19 and remarked in undiplomatic language that the Dalta'" service had again lied. The whistle had blown and the game was started. Far Eastern Russia seems much excited about it, judging from newspaper clippings.
Coincidental with the arise of this controversy a personal letter from Professor Golovatchey has arrived in Peking which contains certain serious reflexions upon the East Siberian situation. These are still characterized by that peculiar spirit of detachment—peculiar to Siberian Russians—which seemed to make Golovatchev's casual remarks worthy of publication in the first place. I quote what appears to bear upon the situation, not to give the lie to "Dalta" or to cheer the conservatives, but because it again gives in the informal style of personal correspondence the impressions of a man who, in spite of the fact that he has stewed in the seething kettle of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.