The following article dated August 28, was contributed to the "Hongkong Daily Press" by a Swatow correspondent For some reason known only to themselves the strike pickets have recently increased and extended their lawless activities. A few days ago the American Consul, Mr. Chamberlain, went down for a bathe to Double Island, where there are about 40 armed pickets, ostensibly engaged in the prevention of smuggling but actually making themselves a nuisance.
Mr. Chamberlain was accosted on arrival by a picket sentry with a revolver, but managed to get rid of him by using the magic formula "American Consul." The Consul therefore bathed in peace. After bathe, however, he was again challenged and this time surrounded by six pickets who pointed their revolvers and rifles menacingly at. him, "He was thus ignominiously escorted to his boat and told to "shove off T understand that Mr. Chamber-in has written the usual letter of protest and that it met with the usual treatment, which means, of course, that it has been completely ignored.
As Mr. Chamberlain has a perfectly good destroyer in port, the U.SS. Hart, it is surprising that he should sit down under such insulting. treatment—perhaps it is that the shadow of the Washington Conference has been cast over him a it seems to have been over his iMtustrious namesake in London.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.