Telegraphic advices have been received by the China Inland Mis~ sion concerning the three Finnish lady missionaries, the Misses Cajander, Ingman and Hedengren, who were carried off by brigands in Kiangsi Province on February 3, The contents, however, could not be [deciphered so the message was sent back to the place of its origin for the necessary corrections.
'The three ladies had to flee from the large city, Kian, on the Kan River, in the western part of the province, because it was unsafe for them to' remain, the city being in imminent danger of capture by bandits and Communists who we approaching in large numbers, They were going up-river in two boats when Uiey were stopped by the brigands, who robbed them of all their belongings, after which they learned the ladies away, week ago, the local hend-quarters of the Mission heard that the 3 ladies were safe, but that they were being held in a temple some 60 from Kian and only ten li from Janother city called Kishul, It is difficult to understand why the Chinese authorities, who, only three months ago, notified the Con sular Body in Kiukiang that steps were being taken to supper' brigandage, have apparently done nothing to rescue the Indies. As a matter of set, we are told that since this lotter was sent to the Consuls, things have become worse than ever. Plenty of soldiers have been placed in the various cities, but apparently none have been sent out into the country to hunt down the brigands. The result is that the robbers are becoming bolder and bolder and the people are suffering terribly. Hundreds are murdered, thousands of homes are being plundered, The bandits are left unpunished, and other peop! rather than be murdered, plundered and looted, have joined the gangs to murder, plunder and loot others, These bad' conditions are spreading and things are said to be going from bad to worse, The elementary duty of a Government is to protect life and property and, until this is done, the Chinese authorities cannot very well talk of. other things.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.