Murder, Theft

Various diplomatic sorties ended last week in a semi-official statement in Tokyo that the U. S., Britain and Japan were in entire agreement on all points of policy regarding China. A conference on Chinese customs at an early date was thereby approved as well as the creation of a commission to consider how and when extraterritoriality (trial for foreigners' in their own consular courts) can be terminated.

Meantime, anti-foreign feeling continued to run high in most of the eastern Provinces. Strikers remained out and a bloody clash took place between two Chinese factions at Canton. In the same place terrorists frightened the sexton of the foreign cemetery to flight by threatening to dig up the dead. In divers places stories of shots fired at foreign transports were reported and lost nothing in being recounted. Despite many difficulties, indications were that Chinese unrest was slowly ebbing.

This favorable impression was quickly dissipated when news came from Manchuria that Morgan Palmer, U. S. citizen from New York State, had been killed while helping the inhabitants of a village near his ranch to beat off a horde of brigands. At the same time the brigands seized the person of Dr. H. J. Howard, eye specialist of the Rockefeller Hospital in Peking, who was visiting Mr. Palmer at his ranch, dragged him to their mountain lair, since when nothing has been heard of him. Mr. Palmer's mother, Dr. Howard's son, one Harold Baldwin (formerly of Derby, Conn.), together with wife and child made good their escape.

A strong protest to the Chinese Government at Peking was made by the U. S. Legation. An indemnity for the Palmer family and punishment of the bandits was presumed to have been demanded. No change in regard to the policy of the U. S. toward China was expected. The killing of Mr. Palmer and kidnapping of Dr. Howard was in no way connected with the anti-foreign movement further south.