To the Editor of the "Nortu-Cuina Dairy News."
Sm,—The missionary body in Hankow, now augmented by numerous refugees from various parts of Honan, has been very vociferous and sometimes unjust, in its criticisms of the military authorities in Honan, and par ji i its attacks upon the Diplomatic Body for its supposedly indifferent and dilatory attitude towards the Honan bandit situation. The m sionaries have, however, found in the editor of the "Central China Post'? a spokesman who has outdone them in enthusiasm and who, in his enthusiasm, has_ written editorially not only libellous but highly abusive opinions which, it is hoped in the Peking Legations, do not express missionary views.
Shortly after Dr. Schurman's recent visit to Lungmen, in the course of which he was General Wu Pei-fu's guest for two nights and a day, a bearer of rumour and gossip from Mien Chih Hsien, Which is just west of Loyang on the Lung-Hai railway, arrived in Tiankow and after a talk with the editor of the "Central China Post" inspired him to write an editorial, dated November 21, upon W2 Pei-fu's neglect of the bandit situation in Honan which closed with the following undignified paragraphs "Then the foreign Ministers have shown about as little interest—as far as is known—in the sufferings of their nationals at the hands of the bandits as peery Wu Pei-fu himself in the case of his awn people. No action has og yet been reported as having been taken by the Eritish Legation. 'The French has mace a stir and has threatened, it is reported, to "take steps' unless the French citizens in captivity are released and justice done, but the matter still awaits the decision of the home government. The United States Minister, Mr. Jacob' Gould Schurman, actually went to Loyang and interviewed Wu Pei-fu, but without bringing much comfort to_his nationals in tribulation. He received a great reception. The General is a charming man when so disposed, and ko has an English-speaking secretary who could give lessons to Wellington Koo in the gentle art of make-believe. Between them they loaded up ' the Minister with a wealth of promises and ho went away happy. He did not. seo nor consult with the American citizens then in Loyang, and it is said he agreed with Wu Poi-fa that men who adopt the high calling of missionaries must learn to accept all the risks involved. It is further stated that his attitude missions and that strong pre-has given great dissatisfaction to the tests hi been sent home to their hoards by several American—Missions. Perhaps Mr. Schurman has been mer-merited by Celestial incantations, like his predecessor Mr. Reinsch who, when he passed through here recently, had lost his wits altogether.
"Lastly, General Wu Pei-fu is at pee. sent occupied with, to him, much more important though he has several ladi his inner apartments his legal wife is dead, and he desires to fill her place by marrying a Mancha Princess from the forbidden city in Peking; thus he is busy building a palace and laying out gardens and grounds. Under these circumstances he can hardly be expected to be keen
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.