Owing to the state of panic which prevailed in Tsingtao the actual ceremonies connected with the transfer were reduced te a minimum. At 11 a.m. Dr. Wang Cheng-ting, the Chinese Minister for For-cion Affairs, and China's Chief Delecate in the Shantung negotiations. aecamnanied by Mr. Hsiung. the Shantung Civil Governor, who has been appointed Director General of the port. General Téang, the chief military anthority, and other Chinese officials, drove un to the Government offices. where they were reesived by General Yui, the nanese Military Coavernor, Dr. Akivama, the Civil Governor, and other members of the Tanancsa administration, Sneeches were mndo, tons te exchanged. and the documents eanneeted with the transfer were handed over. Between 11 and noon a crowd of several hundreds of Chinese coolies assembled in front of the building. It had originally been intended that the Japanese flag should be hoisted aver the central tower, lowered precisely at noon, and replace ed by the Chinese flaz. The Japanese flag, however, was never hoist-od. probably because the Japanese considered that it would jnyolve lose of face to lower their national emblem to make way for the Chinese flag.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.