Complex sentence: By 1940, Griffith-Jones had paid him over $1,000, while the English-speaking Tan had extorted and tried to extort a total of $300 from Griffith-Jones.
Split into simpler sentences: By 1940, Griffith-Jones had paid him over $1,000. The English-speaking Tan had extorted and tried to extort a total of $300 from Griffith-Jones.