Evening star., 1939-12-10

OQndttS IN 1873. sssgv@
UNDERWOOD Photo.
the Chicago Tribune. This post, which
he held for two decades, was the first
of long series of appointments which
brought his reports to many of the i'm
portant papers of the United States. For
ii years. ending in 1886, he also served
as correspondent of the Manchester
Guardian, one of Englands best news
papers.
Becomes Spokesman.
BY 1920, Powell's vigorous defense OF
American rights in China had made him
the logical spokesman Of the American
community. When the Chinese nation
alists launched their famous northern
drive in 1926, Powell was on the scene.
He knew personally the leaders Of the
movement, two of whom are still in the
hnelight. One is Gen. Chang Kai-shek.
Chinas present strong man; the other
Is Wang Ching-wei, Japan's Leading
puppet. The connections established by
Powell during this turbulent period have
survived.
In 1929, Powell went to Manchuria to
"cover" the beating administered to
Chinese force by Soviet troops. Two
years later he returned to the region to
witness its conquest by the japanese war
machine. BY this time, Powell was
already regarded as Nippon's bitter foe
and army sleuths were watching him.
Powell has always derived a great deal
of amusement out of the transparent
methods employed by these spies. once,
in a playful mood, he sent telegram
from Changchun to Mukden informing
the Japanese officials of his arrival the
following noon and asking that the secret
service men meet me at the station on
time"
While in Manchuria, Powell Travelled
north to the Nonni River, where Gen.
Ma Chan-shan was harassing the Jap
anese Army. When Powell reached the
Nonni. Gen. Ma was gone and the Jap
anese general staff informed Emperor
Hirohito of his death. A year later, Ma
reappeared in Inner Mongolia at the
head of guerrilla force.
Powell always describes the ma Incl
dent as "the funniest story I know"
Although the japanese are still fighting
Ma, they cannot claim any victories, 1or
oficially he is dead. If the general stan
dares to announce his defeat the gen.
erals who informed the Emperor OF Mas
death must commit hara-kirl, for they
had told a lie to their ruler-or SO Powell
says.
Today, Powell still remains at the helm
of the China Weekly Review. He also
writes for newspapers abroad, edits the
China Press-another Shanghai daily
cordially hated by the Japanese-pub-
fishes the Who's Who in China, and con-
stantly adds to the library Of booklets,
pamphlets and handbooks he has writ
ten in the past % years.
A Human Dynamo.
Powells industry is the wonder OF
every neWspaperman in Shanghai.
Whether the mercury is lowering in the
vicinity of 10 degrees or nearing the
freezing point, he puts in his 10 hours OF
work a day. He receives an unending
stream of callers. When a newsman
once proposed the creation of a press
club, he was stopped by: "Why start a
press club when there's Powell's of1ce?"
For truly. with the years, Powelis
dark, book Uttered office has become the
gathering place for newspapermen OF
all colors, creeds and nationalities. Even
German and Japanese journalists, well
aware of the risks they are running. oc-
casionally drop in at the Office to ex-
change precious bits Of information. out
of which foreign correspondents piece
out the jig-saw puzzle which is China.
Through his doors pass spies seeking 4
market for their secrets, Chinese patriots
hunted by the Japanese, German refu-
gees, curio peddlers, Russian emigres
from Manchuria, oil agents, marine ofa-
GERS, merchants, American Government
officials and missionaries. And major
ity of these, ~. B"-as Powell Is known
throughout the Orient-will call by their
first names. They have helped to make
him probably the best informed foreigner
in Shanghai.
Out Of the vast reaches of his memory
Powell can extract q story Of the Orient
to suit any occasion. Ono Of his favorites
| concerns his kidnapping BY Chinese ban