At the beginning of the week eight of the foreign captives who had been captured in the bandit raid on the railway at Lincheng were still in captivity at Paotzeku, and while negotiations for their release were proceeding telegrams had gone from Shanghai to important engineering firms at Home in an attempt to arouse public opinion over the situation in China.
On Tuesday came the news that all the foreign captives, eight in number, had been released, owing to the efforts of Mr. Roy Anderson, who gave his personal guarantee for the good faith of the Chinese Government in the matter of enrolling the bandits.
On Wednesday night the captives returned to Shanghai where they were warmly greeted by a large gathering of friends and the public.
Negotiations Said to be Going on Favourably but Much Haggling on Details Tsaochuang, June 7.
The negotiations for the release of the captives, while apparently proceeding slowly, continue faveurably and the results that have been obtained are stated by the Government delegates to be quite up to expectations. To those outside, and to a certain extent even to observers at Tsaochuang, it appeals that there is considerable delay, considering that the terms are more or less straightforward, even if pre-pesterous. But it has to be remembered that the enrolling of the bandits into the army will alone take a matter! of some four or five days as the utmost care is being taken by the Government officials in the enlistment. Then all the minor points promote' discussion, and there is danger of upsetting the present smooth progress if things are hurried. Above all, widening of the breach which exists in the bandit ranks must be avoided.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.