1,600 People on Board: Short of Food and Clothing: The Problem of Cadets As has already been indicated, the position of the Russian ships under Admiral Stark now at Woosung is an unfortunate one, and the situation is seen to be more so because of the fact that no fewer than 1,500 people are on board. The position is that the Consular Body are not prepared to allow so many refugees to land in Shanghai to swell the number of those already unable to obtain work here, and they have cabled the Chinese Government asking the latter to take charge of them. The impression is that the Chinese Government will not be in a position to do so, and in fact all that can be hoped for seems to be that arrangements will be made for Admiral Stark to coal and provision in order that he may proceed to some port where there will be chance of the refugees finding employment.
VISIT OF INSPECTION, Last Saturday afternoon a party visited the ships at Woosung the same afternoon to ascertain conditions, The following notes are taken from the report furnished to the French Consul-General, by whose courtesy we are allowed to publish them.
Of the 1,600 on board the 14 vessels which were—sufliclently provisioned to reach Shanghai, 990 are refugees The latter are poorly clothed and living under very bad conditions. Owing to the meagre accommoda. tion available, the majority are sleeping in tents on the deck. The remainder have found resting places in the engine rooms and holds, while the children—269 of whom are orphans—are huddled together with the others in the waist and forecastles ¢f the ships.
understood that the fest which originally left, Vladivostok on the in-coming of the Reds numbered 27 ships, under the joint command of Admirals Stark and de Bezoire, with 8,000 persons. They appear to have had no idea but to flee from the Red terror, and did not decide on what ports They at first took refuge at Gen san, but were requested by the authorities there to quit Japanese waters without delay. Twelve vessels, however, being without coal and victuals, but with -6,000 on board, were obliged to remain at that port. These people are stated to be without any resources whatsoever.
The remnant of the fleet, consisting of 15 vessels, had sufficient coal and supplies to reach Fusan. but were prevented from anchoring there by the Japanese. A violent
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.