Man Missing at Nanchang Hankow, July 16.
Fears for the safety and well-being of the Rev. L. W. Holland, American missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Nanchang, were increased today when American consular authorities announced that they had not received any reply to a letter sent to the missionary last month through the Japanese army.
American consular authorities late last month grew concerned when they failed to obtain any definite information from the American missionary following an alleged incident with the Japanese military authorities at Nanchang.
Initial information that something was amiss at Nanchang was revealed in a report by a Japanese news agency which said that the home of Mr. Holland had been searched on June 14 and alleged that anti-Japanese leaflets of the type dropped by Chinese planes behind Japanese lines were found. The report also alleged that the American missionary had helped Chinese guerillas, and' ended with a mysterious reference to the Missionary being in hospital.
Inquiries by American consular authorities resulted in the Japanese authorities here late last month assuring the Americans that the American missionary had not been arrested.
They were vague, however, in their replies for information as to the exact action taken by the Japanese authorities in Nanchang with respect fo the American missionary.
They accepted a letter from the American Consulate for transmission to Mr. Holland through the Japanese army late last month, but no reply has been received yet.
Another reason for fears that serious complications might have developed at Nanchang was seen in the fact that nothing has been heard from three American women attached to the Nanchang General Hospital since the alleged search of Mr. Holland's home.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.