Our Nanking correspondent writes on December 19:—
The interview reported by a member of the ''North-China Daily News' staff with members of the Southeastern University faculty of Nanking would seem to infer that the first report of the fire which I sent you was inaccurate. I want to point out for the good name of your correspondent in Nanking that this interview substantially confirms every point in the report which I sent you. And that report was got on the ground by my son, and from the Southeastern authorities direct, with whom he has close associations. It is confirmed also by the enclosed report which was voluntarily sent me by a member of the faculty of the Southeastern. The writer says "it is understood" the insurance was $180,000. The representative of the China Mutual Insurance Company, now The Sun, told me only yesterday that the insurance is $150,000, which was stated in my first letter.
The paragraph enclosed by our correspondent is as follows:—
"The building commonly called "Quadrangle" was burned to the ground the night of the 11th instant. It is the largest building on the campus; it is: used for teachers' offices, general library, physics laboratory, biological and tanical exhibitions and classrooms. It is understood that the building is insured for $180,000, hut some of the books, researches, records, experiments, tests, etc., ly can never be replaced. The loss is inestimable, not only to Southeastern but also to the educational world.
"The fire alarm was given at about midnight when the west side of the building had already been consumed. The fire brigades did all they could but were unable to extinguish it."
With reference to the above information received from another source corroborates our Nanking correspondent's first account and shows that there was a misunderstanding about ths subsequent interview, on which side it is not easy to say.—Ed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.