Tanaka: The Flight to Port Arthur Tokio, Jan. 25.
The interpellations of the Opposition in the House of Peers to-day centred on the Chientao question and the escape of "'Little'" Hsu.
Replying, the War Ministe: Baron Tanaka, denied the report that the War Office had made suggestions to Mr. Obata, Japanese Minister at Peking, regarding Hsu's -escape. The Government had issued instructions forbidding all officials to render assistance. Some aid had been extended after the escape by the military authorities, when Hsu had wanted to journey secretly from Tientsin to Port Arthur. This had been done purely out of sympathy, and owing to certain. circumstances, the disclosure of which now was forbidden by prudence.
The Commander of the Legation Guard must be held responsible and had been accordingly punished. The Legation. porters had riot recognized Hsu at the time of his escape, owing to the fact that no one coming in or leaving the Legation was challenged- excepting Chinese.
As regards Chientao, Colonel Mizumachi had been sent to prevent misunderstanding on the part
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.