Local feeling is that the responsibility for securing the release of Mr. Sandy rests on the Chinese Gover ment, but matters are serio complicated by several facts.. First, may be placed the absence of any county magistrate from Tayeh itself, for though it is understood that, the magistrate has been released by} the Communists, he is not in a position to carry out the duties of his office. The second is that the local Commissioner for Foreign Affairs is bout to go out of office, and though! he has shown every readiness it is clear that his ability is seriously limited. After ho leaves office his duties will be taken over by the Wuhan Municipality, and it} is a moot question whether any regulations have yet been formulated Under which the Municipality can} function in places like Tayeh.
'A third very serious difficulty that it is by no means clea® wheth Mr. Sandy is held to ransom at al No message to that effect has been received direct from him or from his captors. It is more than possible! that he is being held as a hostage, and in that case the question of his release depends on the readiness of the 'Provincial Government'
Took the action of the troops which deserted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.