An amazing letter, alleged to have been sent by Mr. B. Lenox 'Simpson to Marshal Chang Hsueh-Tiang, and throwing light on the re~ cent' Tientsin Customs situation then Mr. Simpson acted as Commissioner of Customs, has been issued by the Kuo Min' news agency, which states that it thas been secured from an shthoritative quarter.
The letter, which is dated Tientsin, September 21, 1930, addressed to Marshal Chang, reads:
am sending this letter urgently to you to let you know the true position of the Tientsin Customs and what I can produce for you in revenue at once if I can' count on your immediate support to keep: me in office as Commissioner of Customs with my present stof", and what I can do every month, "There is in cash now several hundred thousand dollars of revenue in the ordinary additional duties which T can turn over to you at once as soon as you appoint me Commissioner of Customs. I propose that you follow the same plan Shansi did and appoint me Adviser sioner of Customs in when I can at once draw your favour, ion to the accumulated new revenue our Bank, Bank of Communications, holds in the Custom's funds some Hongping Taels 640,000 ($900,000) from the previous administration which Shansi people have been pressing me to get for them, but which T refused to do, In addition there is $350,000 from the September payment of the Russian Boxer Indemnity account which Taiyuan has been telegraphing me to remit for one week, but which I refused to do, In addition if you authorise the same excise of 33! per cent, on rolled tobacco (cigarette tax) which is general ju China but which Shansi has valsed to 50 per cent, in Hopei leading to the closing of the B.A.T. Com= pany's factories in Tientsin and the stopping of all sales, T can at once get the B. A. T. Ca. to pay in advance from $500,000 to $600,000 cash for stamps. Thus in one way or another I can produce upwards for you of $2,000,000 in hard cash. Then the monthly revenue which amounts to $1,000,000 2 month and Now in addition to the cash there is the very important point of the power the Tientsin Customs will ive you, if you keep it in your hands and Tam your man, The Tientsin Customs is the second Customs House in China and has'a total star of 458 men and collects in all $26,000,000 a year, Since T assumed charge with a new staff from allyover China the Chinese ave a thueh better service and it is a true Chinese Customs House, 'Thus ig has been a step forward for your country. We have also clea i up all the frauds and brought a new spirit' ax everyone can tell you, "The Customs under the present Soong. uses for his own purpose, The old staff are trying to rush back and destroy all the work I have done and Geclare that to-morrow (Monday)
Rae us out which, 1 shall resist as they have not got your orders and are simply the 1 am writing viedly with only plain details on the advice of Mukden i I. You always fal your father and how even after his death T fought for him to tell the world the truth. Task you now to help me because my—reputation would te greatly ruined if Nanki often threatening mo for several months, takes this action, and 1 Know Tecan be of service to you and Fengtien. 1 await your word eonfidently and if you will make my appointment at once the world "will understand that I have the backing of the most important man in China and that my position is assured.
would come to tell you all thi personally but dare not leave my Post for one hour for fear that some thing will happen,' law as a precant measure against the act Communists, The lash occurred when a Japanese armed police force approached a line of Chinese police posts. They were challenged but it was stated that, instead of giving the pass word, the Japanese opened fire against the Chinese, who re-Plied.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.