Mr. Ajax Smith's Position To the Editor of the "Normi-Cuiva Day News"
'SimmT have been so frequently and and so badly misquoted In all that have been. asked to say about the baby panda that recently came to Shanghai that itis. perhaps, high time that something of the. real' truth, should be tol Very recently (with no previous interview with me whatever) a message has been broadcast that I had stated that Mrs, Harkness stole the: panda (a statement as redleulous as Wt fs" untrue) and if you can spare space in your columns to permit me to tell in my own ungarbled language the exact truth concerning this whole matier T shall be grateful.
Before Mrs. Harkness' arrival in China she had written asking me 40 continue with the expeditionary. activity In which 1 had been associated with her late husband.
On her arrival T gave her all the information I could (including copies of "field notes" to read) about the country 1 had "developed" where only it might be possible to secure live animals and birds with any fair chance of success, She. however had no interest anything but the giant pands and it was in vain that T tried to convince liber that no "hunters" would attempt {to get any animals at all unless they were assured of compensation for everything that they might catch, alive and in healthy condition.
T also pointed out that even in the district where Thad spent some years training the mountaineers.in every. point of catching animals and birds Alive there was not belter than one chance in three of securing a live anda in any one season whereas in. any other district the chances of promptly securing a panda were ess than that of winning the big prize in the National Lottery. "1 also_men-Uoned that, while gelting the panda was, at best, a gamble, risking the {olat loss of all expenditure, the acquisition of other birds and' anima Would assure a return to cover at least the expenses of the expedition.
As we could not. however, agree fon these matters our association interests was quite amicably terminated, And, through Mr. W. M. Russell (who Mrs. Harkness told me had all power to act for herself in all business matters) it was definitely agreed that her expedition would not 0 into any part of the territory in Which my trained organization was carrying on operations. And 1 continued to give Mrs, Harkness and Mr. Russell all the information 1 could that might help them on their quest for a living panda, This covers the bare actual facts up to the time that 1 bade Mrs. Harkness farewell and food luck aboutd her ship that September 23rd. In the meantime, however, I had received a letter from my Chinese representative at Chengtu intimating that a giant panda had Deen "marked down" and' asking wanted it for double the price 1 had previously offered. Mr. Russell independently. left for Cheitgtu by irsplane the day afler Mrs. Hark-less! departure.
heard no more of the progress of affairs until T received a letter from Mr. Russell stating that Mrs, Harkness "had left Chengiu four days earlier for Kwanhsien. This meant to me that she would at least. pass through the territory where my men were working.
The next news 1 heard wax that Mrs. Harkness was in Shanghai with live baby panda and had been here for several days.
Later she called me on the telephone and asked me to see her at liber Room in the Palace Hotel, and 1 accordingly did see her there at a time, however when others were always in the room. "I took the ocean sion to mention that I had not previously tried to get in touch with her. because when I first learned that she was in Shanghai T had also learned that she had been here for some days, which, perhaps suggested that she had wished to avoid me and that T could see no reason why she should wish to avoid me unless It was because she had. after all. gone straight to the central headquarters of "my territory" at Chaopo to obtain the panda she had. She also very frankly fold me just where she had been. mentioning that she had crossed the river at Wenchuan and had gone from there to Chaopo and then one day further west Into the mountains where she had "found" the panda. She asked me to come again a: soon as possible. But her departure, after obtaining the permit to take the anda out of China was so soon, sudden and secret that there was no opportunity for this.
The journey from Chengtu to Chao-po takes only three days direct, Or. if the route goes through Wenchuan (which Mrs." Harkness took) four days.
"The story that appeared In the newspapers of the capture of the panda ten days north of Chengtu and. two days west of the Min river valley of course. Incorrect, Iefe Chengta and ster returned there. And in the second piece there are anda to be found en days north of Bhenstir and two aye. west of the "That 1s not panda country. have combed the whole. valley fom Kwanhsien (at 108 fob to Sungpan (at it's northern extremity), and know what Tam talking about Twant it tobedistinely understood that T have not (as hes been averred) charged anyone with anything. Least all Mrs, Harkness whose. frank Statement to me In the one and short {ime that, we had an opportunity 10 fai togater at al! suggests, that she is, of least, enurely innocent of Hhienlonal' Saves of my tee tory" for the securing of her panda.
Bverything connected with the whole affair rather indicates that she had, herself. been victimized. into believing that "she" actually has {avelled ten normal stages north of Ghenela and really did discover the ting "panda that" she brought to Shanghat all on her own and all by of my own affairs and of those who'
Jingat but necessary in the in dition ber tu this Is rather
have been connected with me in the work that T have been doing in China for some good many years. Even the writing of this leiier 1s 3 painful necessity but the real neces-can searcely be denied by any' who know me and. know anything about what Ihave been working {oF luring the past several Years that have been in China.
'This letter in itself, fs merely 9 skeleton of all" the acts concerned, it any representatives of the press desire' any. further information of fetalls Twill be glad Yo give. them {o thave who are interested in reveal ing' the real truth Cand. there. are any' details that have not. been mentioned. herein). But "scandal mongers and sensaionalists will not 2 PT. Asax Seirtu, Singhal, Dee. 8
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.