Counsel questioned witness as to 1 military conditions prevailing at the time of' the al-Ieged libel, and plaintiff agreed that some people held the opinion that if one side or the other gained a complete victory it might be for the general benefit. Witness admit to, take egal 24, {eat four China action. Publication of the article Vesse's Were us pee gab end Jed to' plaintiff receiving a number of letters, one of which read:
"It is @ great surprise to read the statement in the 'North-China Daily News' that you have supplied $400,000 to the military fands of Marshal Lu. Words cannot express the sufferings which' Lu. caused to Kiangsu and Chikiang. Where is your conscience in helping this wicked man? I want to warn you to take care of yourself, A ball for the benefit of your health will soon Your truly...
Counsel finally drew a harrow picture of the ravages of war, suggested it was conceivable "such fa letter as the above might have been written by a refugee. Por tunately, nothing happened to his of some of Marshal Chi's troop: from Shanghai, men returning to Hupeh. Tt was not true that these mon were going to reinforce Wu Pol-fu. Notwithstanding this alleg-fed Hibel, he remained on friendly terms with Marshal Chi, He had never applied for police protection, ard he did not ask Mr. Vu Ya-ching to join him in this action. When he told Mr. Vu Ya-ching that, he was going to bring an action, Mr. Vu said: "All right, you go first and I'l bring another action. later on." (Amusement in Court).
Asked how he considered the report libellous, witness. said the fered it of his bank would be damaged by the report that he had paid this money to Lu. One should not advance money in the circumstances.
Did you consider it wrong to charter your ships to carry troops to the north to assist Wu Pei-fu?—
When the hearing was resumed in the afternoon, plaintiff gave lence. He stated that at 9.80 on the morning of publication of the alleged libel, a Mr. Sokolsky called at his office at the Bank and, asking ho had seen that morning's "North China," said: "Did you finance Marshal Lu to the extent of $400,007"
Mr. Reader Harris interposed with the remark that Sokolsky, rot acting as the og "'North-China Daily News not rent by them to interview plain-
Continuing, witness said he told Sokolsky he was joking, and asked him not to create rumours, adding that here had. been rumours that he had financed both Marshals Chi and Lu, but the face was he had financed neither of them. When told of the report which appeared in the "'North-China" witness asked him not to alk nonsense, disbelieving that the paper would have published such a report. Sokolsky then pointed fut the report, and witness then Suggested Sokolsky himself must be the author of it, but this he denied. Asked then why he made s0 early 4a call on the matter, Sokotsky said the Would have the matter amended, but to this witness said he did not want it amended and would go and deo his lawyers, In further con-'Yetsation, Sokolsky recalled Ube "North-China" had been a friend to plaintiff when, in November, 1922, Peking published a punitive mandate against him, and witness answered that the article then' published was help; it was only. the truth. Witness thea consulted his lawyers and in the afternoon received a etter of apology. from the editor of the "North-China Daily News."
Mr, Ward—After this publi tion, would you have been willing to go outside the Settlement?—T had some business at Ningpo, but T dared not 0.
Why?—People at Ningpo are those belonging to the party of Marshal Chi.
Would you have been afraid to go anywhere in China where any of that party was in powor?—I dared hot go outside the Settlement.
Why?—Beeause the "North-China Daily News" is. generally a correct and reliable newspaper, and owing fo this publication there might be some danger. There were many lives lost, audit would be thought fas T had financed one party Tam very bad man.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.