Evening star., 1924-10-06
PORT ARTHUR TALE
AMAzES DIPLOMATS
American Banker Figures in
Revelation of Russians Ac-
ceptance of Huge Bribe.
Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News.


study of the reparations problem and
reports of the London conference the
other day and gave attention to one
of the most amazing of all the weird
stories that have come out of Rus
sia-the grim epic of a man who is
said to have sold Russian strong
hold for $50, 100000 and to have been
cheated out of his blood money.
The suave gentlemen of the topcoats
and silk hats who know from per-
sonal engineering the processes by
which wars and peace are made are
generally skeptical of such yarns, but
they listened to this one. True or not,
1T has an apparent basis OF fact in the
spectacular attempts of beautiful
woman to merchandise the contents
Of golden box that at least one local
celebrity admits having seen.
An American ulti-millionaire.
friend of J. Pierpont Morgan and in
ternationally known as manufac-
turer of machine guns. stands sror@or
for the story and asserts that he fg-
ured in one of its most dramat.,
phases The United States may have
a chance to test the authenticity of
the narrative within few months. Ii
is set down here az Paris heard it,
why Did Port Arthur FalIs
The origin of the story goes back
to the fall of Port Arthur, the Incl
dent which gave the world warning
of the decline of Russia and the rise
of Japan. Port Arthur collapsed sud
denly after a splendid defense and
a shocked world tried to figure out
what had happened. There was plenty
OF back stairs gossip in Russia, there
were mysterious whisperings abou:
the cars court and it was generally
believed that Siberian salt mines
would see lot of new faces.
Gen. Stoessel. in command of the
Russian army at Port Arthur. return
ed TO st. Petersburg to receive pc
culiar welcome. Some of the populace
stood ready to hail him as hero
whose staff had chosen the wrong
time to get drunk. Others were not
90 generous. The military advisers of
the car were frank in their condem-
nation. for. no matter whose the
fault, Japan was planted in Man
churia and the Russian empire had
hetn stabbed in the jugular. Then
Gen. Stoossel died and presently tn.
world. including Russia, had plenty
to worry about without giving
thought to Port Arthur or its conse-
CutnCeS.
The second act of the melodrama is
laid in London. where the American
millionaire went Immediately after
the armistice of November, 1918, on
business with the British board of
munitions. The American was visited
one day by young British capitalist.
Much Mystery Displayed.
Il have a deal on for f10, 0,0oo.000.'
the EnSlishman said. But it looks
tickIish and | need an older head in
1t I can't give you even the details
Of H. for l am under promise of
,ry,fi i
such time as l have treated with the
woman who is the other party in the
transaction. II YOU care TO take
me on faith and can be at the Carlton
Hotel tomorrow morning with
photographer and two Japanese in
te-prets:s we will go into the thing
on equal sharos-50-5o. as YOU Amer
leans say.
And the Americans interest was
piqued at one.
"I'u take chance. he laid. ''Tll
see that you get your interpreters
and I know a photographer who may
be willing to officiate"
The next morning the conference
was held as arranged. The inter-
prefers and the photographer were
taken to an innner chamber in
palatial suite. 4 Few minutes after
ward came a handsome woman in
black. concerning whom official Lon
don had been gossipinG for nearly
month Little was known about her
except tha, sne had rented a suite
in the Carlton Hotel and that she
never vcntured into the street with
out formidable guard. That Down
ing street was interested in her had
become obvious through the special
orders issued to the police.
Contents Of n Gold box.
Four tall Russians followed her
into the conference chamber. They
brought with them a leather case,
which she unlocked. From the
leather case they took rosewood
cssket She opened the casket to
reveal d second casket built to ft
into the first. The second box was
inlaid with mother Of pearl and
precious metals and on it's cover was
a gold plate the size of an ordinary
calling card. On this was engraved
the name of Gen. Stoessel.
The woman unlocked this cabinet
also and disclosed lining of solid
gold. The contents of the box was
parchment document in two sheets
stamped with the imperial seal of
Jopan. The woman handed the docu-
ment to the British capitalist with
sheet of paper purporting to he
translation of the Japanese char
acters with which the parchment was
covered.
we shall have to examine the
original ourselves" said the British
capitalist. We have interpreters in
the inner room. We shall place the
document before them and you may
station your guards at the door to
see that no attempt is made to re-
move it without your consent.
Terms Of Agreement.
TO this proposal the woman agreed.
rhe parchment was taken into the
adjoining room and Photographed i'm
.nediately. Then the Interpreters
translated it substantially as follows:
I'm consideration of an act to be
performed by Gen. Stoessel the i'm
perial government of Japan does on
this day undertake to pay to the said
Gen. Stoessel. the sum of f10.000,0 900.
Said payment will be made by the
imperial government of Japan in De-
cember, 1914, in gold at such time and
place as said Gen. Stoessel may desig-
nate, provided that at such date the
Japanese nation Is not engaged in a
war with some other country. In such
an event the imperial government of
Japan contracts to pay said sum of
10000, 900 to said Gen. Stoessel at
such place as he may designate one
year from the date on which hos
tilities cease"
The Englishman handed the trans
tation to the American
she is offering-a half interest in
the sum due under this contract for
100000" he said. And it looks to
me like a fair proposition"
The American demurred.
IF this were contract" he ad-
mitted, you could easily sell half
interest in it to the japanese. How
ever you viii notice that this agree