A CRIMINAL CHARGE. THE PEACEFUL JAP.

Evening Post, Volume 27, Issue 77, 27 September 1907, Page 5

A CRIMINAL CHARGE.

THE PEACEFUL JAP.

[ BANKER SENT TO GAOL. By Telegraph.— Preas Association. — Copyright. LONDON, 26th September. Sir George Arbutknot, a partner in , the firm of Avbuthnot and Company, ! bankers, of Madras and London, has been tried at Madras on a criminal charge in I connection, with the firm's bankruptcy. | He was sentenced to eighteen months' , rigorous imprisonment. Sir Georgo Arbuthnot (knighted! in 1901) was well known in commercial and political circles in Madras. He was for somo y.?ars a. member of the Legislative Conncil. The charges against him wore that ou 31s£ July of last year ho, knowing at the timo thafc Messrs. Arbuthnot and Company were in an absolutely insolvent condition, and, being chaiimau of directors of the- Madras Equitable Assurance Society, with that knowledge, directed 162,000 rupees of the Equitable Assurance Society's money to b» placed to tho credit of Messrs. Arbuthnot. Ha was further accused ot failing to purohase Government paper to the amount of 75,000 rupees when toldi to do so by tho Equitable Society, and it was allowed that instead of doing co he bought 'periodically to the extent of 60,000 rupees. This constituted a temporary misappropriation, and the balanco o! 15,000 rupees was never invested.. Tho prosecutor further stated that telegrams which were filed from Messrs. Arbuthnots to Messrs. Macfadyon in tho montli3 of Jnly and October, showed the stato of anxiety on tho part of tho former in regard j to th© firm's financial position. These celoguvnis weie produced ond read. Thoy advised heavy withdrawals in October, and stated that it was impossible to continue the bank's operations.

IN REGARD TO AUSTRALIA. THERE MAY BE DANGER. SCARE-RAISERS WILL BE TO BLAME. B* Telegraph.— l'ies-i Association.— Copyi !cht. (Received September 27, 10.2 a.m.) SYDXEY, This Day. Speaking at a fare-nell, M. Iwasaki, Acting Japanese Consul-General, who has been appointed Secretary to the Japanese Embassy at St. Petersburg, said : — "It would be idle- to pretend that there are not many grave, important questions pending, which may bo fraught with serious consequences to your nation and mine. Ido not mean by this that there is any justification for the scares ■which some people aie fond of raising. The real danger comes from the fact that when a large number of men and women are persuaded by those who ought to know better that some great impossible peril in threatening them they aie apt to lose their heads and behave in a manner calculated to develop a new series of difficulties altogether. Those most bitter against the Japanese know the least about them.