How to Get Your Passport: The Tuchun and His Ponies: A Polyglot Train The following letter is from Mr started for Home vid Siberia.
Morriss, who recutly May 1, one hour from Harbin, I must keep you posted about my trip home so a8 to give as much information as T can for friends who intend making the trip across Siberia. "T went to the Soviet Mission in Peking where they were most obliging and courteous, and got my passport with, their visa on it, T'must mention that those visas which are granted in Peking, are inthe light of urgency visas, and understand that Moscow' may curtail this privilege if too much resort is made to Poking. One should make up one's mind about seven weeks beforehand and apply through Shanghai or Peking' to Moscow, A certain amount of time and anxiety can be saved by wiring to Moscow through the Mission to ascertain if the permit has. been granted. My visa cost $11. T saw a real live Tuchun last night. "He came on the train that loft Mukden at 10.20, When seated in the train attention was drawn to a portly figure with a rough, weather beaten, Dut good humoured face, and wear ing on his little round black hat an enormous diamond, about the size of 4 20 cent piece, set over a square amethyst, and everyone was very deferential to him, X noticed, He was Gen, Wu Tson-sheng, the Tuchun of Heilungkiang, and had been, to a conference at" Mukden, with regard to filling the vacancy, caused by the death of Gen. Sun Lich-chen, recently the Tuchun of Kirin, I' believe the new Tuchun is Gen. Chang Tso-hsiang, an old friend' and relative of" Marshal Chang Tso-lin, apparently was known to some of Gen, Wu's entourage, whose headquarters are at Tsitsihar, in connexion with former pony activities, and when the train left was introduced to him. He offered me half 0 dozen, and said they were very fast because they had some foreign horse blood in them. On hearing this T had to suppress rising flood of tears. I pulled out my one bottle of vodka, thanked him, wished him good-night, and went to bed.
The Changchun train left at 8.15 am. for Harbin. It is a delightful train, and you couldn't wish for anything better. On going into the dining car for breakfast just now T was greeted quite warmly by the Chinese waiter there, whom 1 had seen on previous occasions years ago, when up in these parts on my way to buy ponies. "A. Chinese at my table on noticing this, engaged in conversation, and on my disclosing where Twas' going, two Norwegians, good seafaring looking people, got up and came over to say they were going home too vid Siberia. And. then a Swede chipped in and said he also was going. As one of the former speaks German, and the latter speaks Russian, it's going to be all right.
My Chinese friend turned out to be Mr, Sia, chief secretary to Dr.
C. Wang, and wacks with" the Board of Directors of the CE.R., at Harbin, Trains always leave Harbin on Fridays, by Siberia, 30 T shall push off to-morrow happy the "prospects of being not entirely with strangers, We leave to-morrow 4.25 p.m. Friday. Leave Manchouli 6.50" p.m, Saturday. Leave Chita about S p.m. Sunday, fand are due in Moscow the follow: ing Sunday, May 11, whence I will write you again on' this more important part of the trip.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.