The evidence put before the Court was of ar extremely communistic nature and way replete with such sayings as "Down with the Kuomintang which has massacred the maltitade and robbed the people," and, "We demand entire freedom, in public reform and free criticism of public affairs."
The "unequal" treaties came in for considerable censure and a sug gestion was made in certain docu-monte that the present war between the various Chinese factions be turned into one against a foreign power, the declaration of which, it was held, would unite the Chinese nation, The Nationalist Government also was attacked as being "traitorous" to the best interests of the people and its overthrow was advocated, The prisoners did not present a. formidable appearance. being inst very youthful and looking anything but the "students" they were supposed to be. Hawk. ers, loafers, and beggars, would, have been a more fitting deserition in the opinion of many of the spectators. Versed in communists ideas or not, at one junction of the case, several of them took it upon themselves to lie prone upon the floor until reprimanded for tack of respect to the Court.
Included in their number weer four young girls who seemed the only members of the lot conversant with soap and water, They took a somewhat bored interest in the case and vied with many of the men la staring out of the windows with, minds obviously elsewhere.
conclusion the Court ruled ima facie case had Iwan made out against the accused, and ordered that they be handed ovr "if and whin a proper despateh received from the Chinese authorities."
More Handed 0
Possessed of more thin the ordinary: amount of inquisitiveness, four youths, confessed companions of these 24 "students" were before Judge Koh on Sept. 4 and ordered held with their' frienda to be handed over to the Chinese authorities for trial the receipt of a dispatch warrant signed by the proper officials.
'They were picked up by the pole when they trailed in the wake of their companions and appeared the vicinity of the Court on Sep', 3 to listen to the case, The oldest was 22 and they took more interest in what happened in court than did their friends in their trial the day before.
The whole case has caused om siderable comment in police amt eiveles on the legality of ths. that these occu: to the Chiviowe authorities for trial, One contention is that while tha act ig right in theory, it is not right in practice for the very good reason that as Senior Consul's Deputy Stovens said in his protest against the Court's decision, "the Settlement Judiciary system is perfectly ably and capable of trying the case, A Depressing Outlook was further pointed out that the' accused were not taken into custody by the local military, but by the Municipal Police and. that. the act was committed within Settiox ment bounds which, according previous agreement, gives the Settl ment authorities poser to try them, Tt was true that one clause of their charge wae relative to that attempt to subvert the Constituting of the State, which means the Nationalist Government. They wace alleged to have shouted "Down with the Nationalist Government, ete."
Also that they were engaged in fan act against the peace and seeucity of a friendly foreign government, referring to their slogan that the various Chinese armies should unite in a war against a foreign power with whom the cons try is at peace, But the other side of argument is that when they are turned over to the Chinese offieiatt they will doubtless receive more punishment than they would hav" received had they been sentenced by the Provisional Court.
Tt is felt that the Chinese eilitary are sincere in their attempts to stamp out bolshevism and that when the "students" are brought te tial things will go hard ith theo
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.