A curious effect of diplomatic interference has come to light recently. Time was when there were quite 'a number of Germans engaged in the camps and military schools here. After the revolution the number was reduced to one who still taught in the large military college to the {south of the city. Latterly he has had to go and the reason alleged is this. The Japanese demanded that wherever there were other foreigners engaged in camps and military schools than they too should have place. Things being as they are in military circles in China this was probably a wise defensive measure against the Germans. Hence, our little problem here was solved not by engaging the Japanese but by. dismissing his rival.
How fully the local Chinese press is now in the hands of the German# had come to light in the last week or two. A local scholar of some ability fein iv a pity the paper sdbould contain nothing but pro-German news and took the trouble to write an article putting forward another point of view pretty blunt-lly. He tried three papers one after the other, but had M.88. returned with thanks and the information that the ssid papers stood "in the middle way." Subsequent inquirice, however, revealed the fact that)
certain German, whose foreign name was not disclosed, who resides in Hankow and who is responsible for most of the German anti-Allies Chinese tracts, was a man much to be feared.
Later still came the suggestion of monthly subsidy of two hundred dollars a8 a method of overcoming all difficulties; this two hundred dollars was subsequently reduced to a hundred. The Chinese scholar mentioned above has not the funds for this good purpose. Is there, however, any other way! If Germans are prepared to pay for news Britons are not, is it a thing to be wondered at that the Chinese believe the things they see in print rather than those they do not? This seems to be fitting outlet for some of the energies of the British Chamber of Commerce.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.