Chief Officer Johnston Decorated by Humane Society's Medal at Ichang From Cur OWN ConREsronDENT, Tchang, Sept. 3.
Mr. Ernest Johnston, chief officer of the CUS. Shasi, was to-day decorated by Mr. A. P. Blunt, H. 'M. Consul, with the Royal Humane Society's Medal in recognition of his bravery in diving into the Yangtze on February 21 ast to rescue a Chinese boy.
Mr. Wei Tsung-lien, Commission~ er for Foreign Affairs, who accompanied his Majesty's' Consul to the steamer, on board which the presentation was made, in a speech, said that Mr. Johnston's zeal to ave the life of another, his courage humanity were difficult adequately to honour, "In that_ the British Consul," added the Commissioner, "has recommended Mr, Johnston's act to the favourable mention of the Royal Humane Society, 1, Superintendent of Customs and' Commissioner of Foreign Affairs, am the more believing that this kind of conduct sets an excellent example which is not only reputable to Mr. Johnston individually, but does " great good to the safety of every traveller in this country."
Mr. Blunt, in presenting the medal to Mr. Johnston, after refer ring to the fact that on the da} and time of the rescue the wei ther was bad and that half a ga! was blowing, with the water full of mi ature whirlpools, said that the ease had seemed to him cle: ly one for representation to the Roy: Humane Society. The Society, at a meeting held on June 9, "unanimously resolved to confer on Mr. Johnston the the Honorary Bronze Medal of the Society, In the "Ballad of the Reveng Mr. Blunt continued, it was recorded that the Spanish "praised" Sir Richard Grenville "to his fave with their courtly Spanish grace." He (the Consul) had no "courtly Spanish grace" and he proposed to spare Mr. Johnson praise, He would like, "however, to remind all those present of Sir Richard Grenville's reply: "I have only dor my duty, as a man is bound to do, We were nowadays—constantly accused of being murderers of Chinese. The speaker wondered whether those accusers know the definition of ' murder, If 80, could one single instance be quoted where a Chinese has been murdered by a British subject and justice has not been done, or attempted On the other hand, Mr. Johnson's action recorded at least one case—and by no means a single case—where a British subject had saved or attempted to save the life of a Chinese at the serious risk of his own, On the call of the Consul the assembled company drank—the brave man's health and joined in the singing of "He's a jolly good fellow," which brought a memorable occasion to a close.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.