Even the Bolsheviks Do Not Like It Comrades as Stowaways:
The Case of Mr. Labis: Ex-British Concession and Labourers Hankow, Apr. 14.
This place is still unsafe for fo: eigners, Time and again in the streets they have to appeal to the Police for proteetion—and. the Police laugh at them. They can take no action against' members of the Wharf Coolies' Union or the Riesha Coolies' Union or whatever mob union the offenders happen to belong to.
Take the case of Mr. A. V. Labis, a. prominent Belgian merchant. Mr, Labis had a box of silver-ware which he wished to send to Shanghai for safe keeping and a friend on the str. Tatung offered to deliver it for him in Shanghai if he took it on board the steamer. Accordingly Mr, Labis took the box to the Bund in his motor car and arranged for a coolie to carry the box to the water's edge to the company's launch, the steamer being in mid-stream, The coolie demanded a dollar to carry it 100 yd, and Mr, Labis agreed. At the launch the colic demanded $10 but after argumer' went away with one dollar, On returning to the Bund of the ex-British concession Mr. Labis found his car surrounded by 15 coylies and they at once started to assault him, His clothes were almost torn off, 'Mr. Labis appealed to a Police.' man but, he was dumb and immovable for he was going to have no trouble with the Wharf Coolies' Union. Mr. Labis finally thought of a passport he had issued to him by the Foreign Office, He. showed it to the Policeman' who then attempted to do "something, telling the coolies that Mr. Labi was a Russian Adviser to the Foreign Office.
This opened the way so that ha could get into his car, the coolies in while hanging on to the front fender and the radiator. Ho put hhis ear into reverse and suddenly drew away from them. They all Zell and in the confusion Mr, Labis was "able to get AaWny.
Such Ineldents area common!
The other eight are accused of being strike-breakers and are also to be shot to-morrow.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.