Thermometer Wanted Peking, June 12. letter has reached the outside world from the Rev, Bert Nelson which states that he is well despite captivity, but that the bandits have decided to'keep him a prisoner indefinitely so that he may act as their English teacher. he Rev. Bert Nelson, who is an American missionary, was captured at Kwangshan, Honan, on October 5 last, but has been moved about the country a great deal since then.
Some time ago when negotiations were in progress for Mr. Nelson's, release, the bandits made all manner of fantastic demands. In addition to money they asked for granio-Phone records, footballs, gasoline and all sorts of other supplies.
Now it is stated their further demands include 360,000 feet of telephone wire, pianos, organs, printing presses, an aeroplane and thermonieters.
"These demands are leading to the Yiolief that the bandits have no intention of freeing Mr. Nelson, but are making foolish demands simply fas an excuse to held him—Reuter. ity, He was at last mac and appointed to full command of {the troops in Korea, About the time of this appointment Gen, Ugaki, Minister of War in the Hamaguchi Cabinet, fell ill, the Cabinet favoured the appoint ment of Gen. Minami. 1) turned out to be correct; Gen. Minami was offered the post and accepted it. As a lad, it had been his ambition to become a General; now, he was both a General and a Cabinet Minister.
The duties of a War Minister in Japan, when no war is on, are far from exacting. He has no need to fear opposition from other members Japan, the The inister is not responsible to the Cabinet, or to the elected House, Jand he also possesses the unique privilege of making representations Jdivect to the Throne in ease he feels that efforts are being made to whittle down the military strength to a point that endangers the national, security. The Navy Mine ister enjoys a similar unconditional they do, not, At the Cabinet Councils, which meet twice a week in regular ion, all the War Minister does is to assume an attitude of dignity and pomp and impress on all pres-lent his splendid immunity from the vexatious matters that worry civilian members of the Cabinet. When a question is put to him, all he need do is nod his head, like some Olympian god, and merely grunt: 'Yes;" That' may be so:" or, }don't' think x05" and the like. That is the limit to which War Ministers and Navy Ministers allow their tongues to wag when in any business If the matter brought up is something that has direct reference to them, or to the Departments over [which they preside, similar linguistic economy is employed, but in_ tones that warn all and sundry that the danger signal has been hoisted. Leave that to my discretion;" or "I fam quite conversant with every phase of that matter; leave it to me." And these matters are usually left" to them, for all know the futility of questioning the War, Navy Minister in matters bearing for bordering on moval and military affairs, Gen, Minami is, despite his soldierly bearing, quite an approachable man, unlike other War Mini ters, and, for this reason, is much Hked by reporters. He is full of sympathy, extremely courteous, and very simple in his tastes. One of his greatest characteristics is the quickness with which he reaches a decision and the clarity with which feveaplain. howe ad nach: and-such a conclhysion, all Regarded asf Prime Ministerial timbre because of this asset, rather than because of any other, the War 'Minister has thrown himself wholeheartedly into the big question of retrenchment of military expenditure. At a dinner given to the editors of the vernacular papers in' Tokyo last week, he told them that he was formulating a plan, which was progressing very well, for effecting military retrenchment, "the results of which will astonish all of you." He gave no further details, beyond adding that "expenses could be reduced in many directions without in any way impairing the efficiency of the troops."
If Gen. Minami does succeed in effecting some worth-while retrenchment in military expenditure without causing any retrogression of the Empire's forees or impairment of. their efficiency, then will he really ingratiate himself into, the jeonfidence of the nation, and have progressed along way toward becoming Head of the Government, provided that he does nurse Prime Ministerial inclinations,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.