Evening star., 1939-12-10

dts in Shantung in 1923. In company
with John D. Rockefellers sister, a cou-
pie of foreign military officials, a honey
incoming Mexican couple and flock of
Shanghai stock brokers he was taken
to a bandit lair atop mountain. There
the group remained for weeks, while the
great powers threatened to send their
armies to China. The incident was set
tied as many Chinese incidents are-with
silver bullets" The ransom was paid by
the Chinese government, which also paid
q handsome solatium to the freed for
eigners. The Mexican newly-weds re-
ceived nothing, because the Chinese
were incensed over the anti Chinese riots
In Sonora.
Would Guard Two Countries.
Powell is anti-Japanese only in the
sense that he sees in Nippon's current
adventure on the mainland a major
danger to the two countries he loves
the United States and China. With the
Japanese Army in control of China, he
maintains, American missionaries, teach
ers, traders and bankers would soon be
driven out of the country.
PoWell's China Weekly Review is as
disliked by the British diehards in China
as by the Japanese. There are few issues
of the Review which fail to slap Britain
for her vacillating policy in the Orient.
Yet, with numerous other Americans in
the Far East. he believes that the United
Uif
Britain and France in checking the ad-
vance of japanese Imperialism.
Nippon's invasion of China, to Powells
mind, is the source of most of the evil
that has tefallen the World in the past
decade. All other nations, he declares,
can remain blind to the Chinese tragedy
If they choose to do so. The United
States, both because of her traditional
friendship with China and because of
self-interest, cannot afford to shut her
eyes.
In fighting Japan, Powell has never
pulled his punches. Thus the Review
has always been the first to expose the
drug and gambling rackets backed by
the japanese Army. One of Powell's
favorite targets has been the Hollywood
Gardens, japanese owned establish
ment. through whose well-guarded doors
10000 people pass every "a hours to gam
BILE and smoke opium.
In fighting the powerful gambling and
narcotic rings, with their official and
semi official japanese connections,
Powell has taken his life in his own
hands, for Shanghai's racketeers operate
little armies of trigger men" who do
not hesitate to rub out their foes. KILL
ings and bomb explosions are a daily
occurrence in the city's vice belts, and
even the Hollywood Gardens, with its
standing army of 300 armed hoodlums,
is not immune.
Newsmen Assassinated.
In the past two years, newspapermen
opposed to Japan and her puppet
Chinese officials have Jared badly in
Shanghai Scores of newsmen have been
assassinated, while newspaper offices,
both Chinese and English-language,
have been bombed. Earlier this year,
submachine guns welded by pro-Jap-
anese killers, claimed a large toll in
Powell's own Office building. Among the
dozen men struck by bullets was an
American who attempted to lock the
gunner in the back alley. That night,
two French armored cars, their guns
trained on the building, took their stand
across the street, while large sand-bag
barricade was thrown up near the en-
trance.
The China Press, edited by Powell,
steel-plated the doors Of its printing
plant and installed burglar alarm. One
floor below, the doors of Powell's own
Office still remain wide open-both to
friend and to possible gunner. 1t may
be courage or it may be fatalism. To his
worried friends, urging him to take pre-
cautions, Powell smilingly says: "Those
rats won't do anything to me-" But in
alf-hearted admission of peril, Chinese
policeman has been installed at his door.
After two decades in China, Powell is
still a faithful Missourian. He reads
Missouri newspapers, keeps his family
In Missouri and maintains voluminous
correspondence with his numerous
friends in the State. This year he helped
to revive the Missouri University Alumni
Club in Shanghai.
If he ever decides that he has done his
work in China, Powell probably will re-
tire to Missouri. If he does, there will be
profound regret in China-and corre-
spending relief in Japan.