The presence of a bear in the closure of a church flavours of cheval times but that this may also happen in the 20th century was di covered by the clergy of the St. Sophie Cathedral at Harbin, who, when on their way to the morning mass, found their ingress blocked by a' large bear cub chained to a tree near the entrance, At the sight of the black-robed priests, the bear, which up to then had been quietly chewing a salted herring, suddenly emitted deep growls and assumed a threatening attitude. The clergy evidently decided that the [bear was affected by the anti-religious propaganda carried out by Communists in Harbin and tried: to exhort him with a stick but after some futile attempts had to apply for police protection, The squad of Chinese policemen who hastened ito the spot seemed baffled by the situation unforeseen by any existing regulation and were in the middle Jof a heated discussion, when Japanese, the owner of the Bear appeared on the spot, carrying three more herrings in his hand, When questioned, he stated that as his flat was undergoing repairs, he had decided that the Cathedral's lyard would be a convenient spot to keep the bear in the meantime, especially as he intended to keep it well supplied with herrings in order to prevent any mischief on its part, The owner evinced great surprise and indignation when neither police nor clergy wished to share his mind and with a disdain-full shrug of the shoulders he unchained the bear and led him away {in search of some other convenient Io-cation. All churches at Harbin closed their gateg early that day.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.