With their safety guaranteed by Herr Theodore. Antoschowitz,. who has been connected with the Tsingtao police since the days of the German Joceunation, which ended in 1914; 130 of the Chinese, police who deserted their posts yesterday have returned jand are now helping to extinguish the fire ina Japanese siti mill.
The mill was one of the few new Japanese properties set on fire by the Chinese yesterday, Meanwhile, the "Vigilantes," as the newly-formed foreign volunteers corp has been nicknamed, are patrol-Ting the streets in motor-ears in an attempt to maintain order. They are fonly armed with batons.
Mr. A. R. Hogs. a Briton. is in command of the volunteers, who consist of 150 Russians, 31 Germons and few more persons of other. national los. They have done valuable work since their formation.
Hankow Abandons Tsingtao According to reports received here from Hankow, the attention of the Chinese Government fs at. present centred on the fate of Tsingtao.
With the fall of Tsinenfu and the ess of the Tsinanfu-Tsingto Rallway. the city, it is stated, has little Jor no military importance, and it juntikely that special efforts will be made to defend the port.
At present only skirmishes between Jpntrols are reported atens the Tientsin-Pukow Railway south of Tsinanfu, where. the Chinese forces Jare now occupying positions among the "hills between "Tangehinchuant nnd Kingshan. A large. body. of Chinese troops Is said to. be eoneentrated of Chingchun, to the west of Tsinantu.—Reuter, Fall of Weihsien reported Tringtao, Jan. 2
Reports of the fall of "Weihsien, aithoush uneantirmed. Nave. rested acceleration slit further, the fexedis of Talntao't Chinese Inbablfants, who fear possible Japanese ven-feat ice forthe destruction of Japan fs0" property here, The vastness {ihe htt o¢ populbiioh which staking ince it fihstrated by estimates that there ate now ority 80.000 Chinese Taino. compared with the ely format" population of "upwards "of though Amerlesn nationals in Tuinatag have been advised. by. the Slate: Department. ut "Washington vacate. few of them ave eager to teave. Since the Jnoanese mills here were destroyed out December 18, only noodt of the. 251 Amerfeane fu the Tingtro consular district have evacuated, 38 traveling by the wars ships Sacrnmento and Pape and by merchant vowels here are "now altogether teem others In other parts of the americans. in Teinetno proper and "The usual New Year's celebrations here, were vcanccld. Particularly missed Was the ball at the Intern Tinnat Ctub, the outstanding event The American Consul-General, Mr. Samuel Sacnbin, te concerned over exaggerated reports. of the situation here which have been pub: ished in the United States. We is not apprehensive aver the safety of American Life and property, and deplores the reports that they are seriously endangered.
Looting still continues, but it is only spasmodic and. on a minor sale.
The committee of Chinese business men established here to maintain peace and order have warned that Tooters will be shot by the Chinese police, but fio wholesale executions are taking place.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.