the Editor of the "Normu-Conxa Dany News"
Sm—I would like to bring to the attention of your readers the state of affairs at. present existing in Japai ese occupied territories in the country very near Shanghai.
An old Chinese friend of mine returned to Shanghai from Sungkiang yesterday, the journey having taken him the best part of four days, what with travelling by small beals and walking, The ordinary train journey prior to the hostilities would take {about two hours or so.
According to him, most of the country people's houses at Sungkiany Jare destroyed—burned out—as_ the result of guerillas and Chinese soldfers! activities, These guerillas, Present operating at Sungkiang "and vicinity are nothing but a lot of rob bers and bandits who rob the poor farmers of money and take away anything they can lay their hands fon, clothing, furniture ete.
Women are stopped on the roads these bandits and 40 cents or s0 demanded of them before they can Proceed. My friend stated that the [guerillas and Chinese soldiers mand enormous sums of money from the farmers, otherwise they com mence operations in their houses, thereby drawing the attention Japanese soldiers, who come along 1nd, after dispersing the guerillas, set Bre f0 the houses.
'Asia result of these operations, hundreds of farmers' dwellings have been burned to the ground. As an instance, my friend had to act as negotiator between the guerillas and the farmers who banded together and collected between them from $500—$1,000 to give to the guerillas, who otherwise would have destroyed their ferops or had their abodes turned down by the procedure stated above.
My friend, who has rather a large house at Sungkiang, has recently had 8 many as 100 soldiers and guerillas staying in it. His wife, wh: ole forced to wash their feed them without any soever. On the other ha. that the Japanese soldier. to the country people ana do not Interfere very much with their daily routine, He said that the majority Jot the farmers would much prefer the guerillas to be cleared away from the district and live In peace' even }with the enemy amongst them, In conclusion, I wish to state that 1am a neutral, with leanings towards the Chinese and their cause, and have stated just the plain facts Jas told to me The Russian Nation:
A Correspondent Apologises To the Editor of the "Nonmu-Cmxa Day News"
'Sinn reply to your writer under "The Russian' Nation" and signed G, I wish him clearly to understand that Tin no way had in my mind to insult any or all true Russian Patriots of "old Russia" in fact, always had and have the utmost admiration for everything Russian and everything that has to do with the real Russia. Having lived many years of my life in Russia T must, say that Thave never met finer people wherever I have been, so please V. F. hereby accept my'sincere apology ani feel assured that there wae no inten tion of insulting "the Russian Nation." I am just very much, Shanghai, Sept. 27.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.