The writer therefore opened the discussion at the tea table by remarking that Dr. Schurman wanted to inquire about the condition of the captured missionaries, the prospects of their release and the measures that were being taken to suppress brigandage. During the discussion which followed, the English-speaking secretary,' who happens to be a shy youth of 92 with a good knowledge of the usual bookish English learned in Chinese schools but with. none of Mr. Wellington Koo's experience, did not participate. After the writer's opening remark, a Chinese friend of the writer's who had secompanied him from Peking, did the translating but expressed no opinions of his own either it, Chinese or English. General Wr outlined the situation as he knew it then. He explained that the bandits were ex-soldiers of the Chao Ti command who had adopted kidnapping as a political measure and had demanded, not ran-sorns, but incorporation in the Chinese Army. He said that he had offered to buy their arms, and had several times raised his quotations on the value of the arms. He did not believe that if he were forced to fight them the bandits would carry out their threat, of killing the missionaries or of putting them in the front line, but he admitted that while he was moving troops and negotiating at the same time he had to consider this threat and act accordingly. Therefore he was prepared if the bandits showed a desperate disposition end if the foreigners seemed to be im real danger to agree to the incorporation of the bandit troops in the army on the condition that they be stationed elsewhere than in Honan and not placed under his command. He had had unconfirm-reports that the two engineers and one missionary had either escaped or had been released by the bandits. As it happened this was not true, but neither Dr. Schurman nor General Wu had more accurate information before they parted. Dr, Schurman quoted the missionaries whom he had interviewed to the effect that missionary opinion was against the incorporation of the bandits into the regular army because it would establish a precedent according to which any band of rascals who in future desired to be put upon the Ministry of War pay roll wowd only have to. seize a few foreigners to be given legal status as soldiers, Ceneral Wu appeared to think that no such compromise would be required and expressed the (now mistaken) opinion that the missionaries and engineers could be released within a few days through the negotiations then going forward for the purchase of arms. Dr. Schurman exacted from the General] a statement that he would secure the release of the mission.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.