Harbin, Feb. 27.
The plague situation throughout North Manchuria has shown considerable improvement since I last wrote. The mortality figures at Manchuli, Jalainor, Tsitsihar and Harbin district have all declined. On the 25th instant deaths were recorded at Jalainor, which on the 6th claimed 80 cases.
In order to assist in perfecting the quarantine arrangements made at Changchun, I visited that city on February 24, and interviewed the Taoyin and the South Manchurian Railway authorities as well as the medical officers of the Chinese, Japanese and Russian sanitary staffs. In view of the junction of three lines at this spot, the importance of proper preventive measures at Changchun may be imagined. I found everywhere the greatest desire to cooperate and to avoid political scores in the face of a common danger. The Chinese had established a large quarantine station in the form of ton units, each consisting of a commandeered inn with a large compound and holding about 150 persons, while the Japanese were utilizing two buildings built during the cholera epidemic of 20 months ago. The occupants of the Chinese stations were looking happy, contented, well-fed and being entertained with music from a gramophone, while those confine ed in the Japanese sheds consisted of Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and Russians who had travelled from Harbin in third class carriages. At the time of my visit there were about 900 persons in quarantine and all were looking well.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.