Tsingtao, Oct. 14.
Despite the many rumours bruited about in other places to the effect that Tsingtao had been bombed, things here remain peaceful. It is a fact, however, that about half the population, since the unfortunate shooting of ihe two Japanese marines on August 14, evacuated, but many have since returned and the main streets have resumed a more normal appearance. More shops have opened to business again due to returning confidence. At one time—not much more than a month ago—there was only about one shop in ten kept open. Prices for all foodstuffs are still quite high, but there is definitely no shortage of essentials.
The Japanese stores are, of course, all closed and boarded their owners having left practically at a moment's notice and it is a sad sight to see all their establishments locked and sealed and it does not seem like Tsingtao not to see a single Japanese anywhere. Many of them left with tears in their eyes. They did not want the war; Tsingtao was their home, and not a few trying to evade their Government's evacuation orders, had to be rounded up by their Consular police, as they, living and working peacefully with the Chinese here, had come to regard Tsingtao more as their"home than Japan itself.
It is understood that not all of their 15,000 odd population in Tsingtao were evacuated to Japan, and that they were distributed to various concentration camps elsewhere also. Nine large Japanese cotton mills and other undertakings here, giving employment to something like 50,000 Chinese are idle, but every employee was paid up to date and their Japanese employers left with a clean slate,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.