A possible compromise suggests itself. Upon a guarantee being given by General Gleboff that the ships will leave port within a certain time, carrying their full complement of men, it might be possible to arrange ''shore leave.'' Passes could be issued for the landing of limited parties each day, available for a stated time, successive parties coming ashore upon the return of preceding parties and the checking of their permits. In this way, the whole 800 would have opportunity of getting the necessary rest ashore, with some surety of none of them being stranded here, since the issue of passes could be stopped if it were found that the men allowed to land were not returning and delivering up their permits.
Some such plan would seem to be necessary since, however anxious the mem may be to proceed with further voyages and however well prepared they may be for travel, it is more than possible that, once ashore, a number of them would be tempted to remain; and experience has shown that their chances in Shanghai are economically hopeless.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.