The shocking and depressing news that the Red regime in Russia has decided to murder General Annenoff will come as a sad blow to his thousands of friends, former coll gues and subordinates in this country, and we beg to extend to them four sincere condolences. It is a hideous end to a career of gre: trial and suffering, It was only very recently that we heard on seem~ ingly good authority that General Annenkoff had been given a post of, no little power and distinction in the Red Army in European Rus The public will remember that Annenkoff was one of Admiral Kolehak's senior lieutenants in the war against the Reds in Siberid. With the collapse of Kolchak's reance to the advancing Bolshe-vis, Annenkoff retreated into western Mongolia and then into Chinese Turkestan. Governor Yang treated him and his large force with. Jhonour until he had persuaded them to disarm, when they were at once Jdenied the usual honours of war and were dealt with as_crimi General Annenkoff himself ly hope that the time is coming when they can. If there ever were a country in which "man wants but little here below," that Jeountry is China. Let us trust that the few essentials to the country's continued existence will be recognized by our next rulers, whoever they happen to be and that we can face the forthcoming period of renewed stress with some hope of a long, dull era of peace after it. held under jemmable conditions that vas then despair-jed of. His release was secured at the eleventh hour so that he might die under more humane conditions.
He slowly recovered, however, and made his way to Lanchowfuy: in Kansu. When the province came into the hands of Feng Vu-hsiang Jand his Red advisers, it was announced by the Reds that General Annenikoff had a change of heart Jand had volunteered for, service in the Red Army. Through other news media it was reported, however, that hho had been arrested and taken to Russia by way of Urga. No one has ever known quite what to believe. Most of the men who enlisted under Chang Tso-lin and Chang Chung-chang in the White Russian corps were from Annenkoft's former and something more than 8 year ago a pamphlet was circula~ ted among them which was printed in Peking and purported to be written by their former chief, in which the told how he had gone over to the exhorted them not to fight for militarists, imperialists and the Uke. "Annenkol's friends continued to believe him a prisoner and looked upon this pamphlet as a Red forgery, which it probably was. The news that he had been given high rank in the Red. Army, which came somewhat later, seemed genuine and many sceptics revised their view and decided that Annenkoff, like 80. many others, had made up his mind to save Russia from within since all efforts from without had been so futile, At all events he is now. mania for butchery which has swept lover the U.S.S.R. since Red enter-Prise in so many foreign fields has resulted: in failure and humiliation, The "Nationalized" C.P.O. fe are ati banned by the tina Post Offs, "Wo have never Mind we doubt if the foreign [re Eamnmiasioner has ever heard Resi chieh petty functionary duking the order to forbid us the use of the Posta emanated; and now that' the Nanking Government partially in flight and wholly in Agitation, it is unlikely that, we fever shall hear. As it happens we really do not care to. know which one "of Chiang. Kaishek's subordinates "issued the" order. We should always have taken it for granted that, if an official of the Postal served were week ¢nough in the face of Chinese military" off sciousness to conoider" such "an order, hundreds. of self-important Title men could be found to. draft the order and get Chiang Kal-shel's seal upon it, What we continue to be interested in, "however, is the character' of the " Commissioner's explanation of his conduct to." the Directorate in Peking and. the nie ture of the Directorate' reaction 0.2 step which makes clear to the florid the disruption of the service Uhrough "subservience to unre Jeognized local authority, "Wo con tinue. to push" Inquiry into aspect of the Commissioner's crimination against us. and. while it is a matter of no more-than, casual interest to us to learn that ithe Government from which he chose to take instructions is probably going up in little pulls of The Air Force Going We are sure that there are few persons in the community, with the possible exception of a few hopeful Communists, who will not regret to know that the unit of the Royal Air [Force at the Race Course is pack-jing to depart. Their incessant bustle during recent months has foe en an ever present reminder to the public of army efficiency, sul their practice flights, morning after morning, have given Shanghai something to'look up at and admire. }Quite apart from giving us something to look at and be proud of, they have also promoted a sense of security which those who know something of Chinese armies and their ways can derive from no other modern arm of the service. The fighting plane provides a means of Jdefence against anything that an irresponsible and panicky Chinese army might bring to bear upon foreign community. No city in the vicinity of warring armies is ever free from the menace of hysterical
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.