Two other reasons have been given. One is that it was due to the intervention of Marshal Wu Pei-fu, in order to prove to the Japanese the strength of his influence. If that were so, one would have expected that it would have been given every possible publicity, instead of being kept a dead secret, Moreover this report comes from very doubtful sources, The other suggestion is that the guerillas were acting on the direct orders of the Central Government in Chungking. Favouring this view is the fact that it was known here several weeks ago already, that both the Post Office Administration here and also the Italians had appealed to the Chinese Government to obtain his release. Moreover, about a fortnight prior to Mr. Poletti's release it was being stated in certain circles in close touch with the affair that the Chungking Government had issued Orders that he was to be set free.
It must be said that this does seem to be the most reasonable explanation of an otherwise unique occurrence in the history of Chinese kidnapping.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.