Nanking, May 14.
'The Foreign Office to-day wired instructions to the Szechuen authori tes, ordering them to ald in effecting the release of Mr. Howard Smith American missionary, who was kid-happed recently by' bandits near Penghsien, Szechuen Province, This action followed a note which Mr, Nelson T, Johnson, United States Minister to China, sent the Foreign Ofce yesterday regarding the kidnapping.
It was learned at the American Legation to-day that the whereabouts fof Mr. Smith were still unknown. The Dbeliet' was expressed, however, that he was carried away' solely for purposes of ransom and not for any other reason as was at first rumoured.
Mr. Smith, who is a member of the [Church Missionary Society at Peng-hsien, comes from Washington, Pa. He has been engaged in church work in China for many years. Word of the kidnapping was first. received from some of his friends in Hankow, who had apparently been advised by the Dbandits.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.