to Seoul From Our Harbin Correspondent Antung, Aug. 2
On Saturday morning, July 31, the 20th day of his arrest—Mr. George L. Shaw was_ transferred from Shingishu to Seoul under strong escort. He was treated like an ordinary criminal, hands being handcuffed, he was not allowed to travel first-class by his gaolers though he offered to pay the difference in fares for all, so was forced to sit in a third class compartment crowded with natives and most uncomfortably hot, for the heat just now in these parts is oppressive and damp. He -was allowed to take with him his camp bed and some clothing as well as money in order to obtain food from outside.
From further information received from reliable sources by the writer, it seems that the Japanese authorities were fully cognizant of the fact that they had not sufficent evidence in their possession to prefer charges against Mr. Shaw in the usual and proper manner of procedure, that is by bringing them before the British Consul. It must be remembered that the charges for which he has been arrested are connected with occurrencies that are said to have taken place not on Korean soil but in Chinese territory, where all nationals enjoy extraterritorial rights.
But little attention need be paid by the British authorities, who are now following the case, to Mr. Shaw pot having his passport with him, the proper course for the passport officer to have taken was not to permit Mr. Shaw to travel further into Korea but to turn him back, for Shingishn station is not half a mile from Chinese territory. On the other hand the British authorities must never lose hold of the fact that the arrest was to all intents and purposes a deliberate kidnapping planned by the Japanese authorities who have been long waiting for their prey. The British authorities are already intimately acquainted with the conditions actually existing in these parts, and that the Japanese authorities will have in their possession plenty of evidence, regardless as to how it has been obtained, to justify them, from their point of view for Mr. Shaw's arrest. The question which still remains unanswered is, are the British authorities going to remain silent about the questionable tactics of the Japanese who are responsible for effecting the arrest? The case may be dragged out an interminable length of time and will this British subject be forced to endure the discomforts of a native prison until the! case comes to an end? -If strong representations are made to the Tokio Government, the hard lot Mr. Shaw has now to bear can be made considerably lighter almost immediately.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.