A TIGHT SPOT

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 96, 20 October 1934, Page 11

A TIGHT SPOT

ESCAPE FROM CHINESE

NEW ZEALANDERS' ADVENTURE

Shut in an iron-barred cago in tho slums of Mukden, China, with a bayo-net-armed policeman standing guard, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bell, of Christchurch, recently found themselves objects of huto to a largo and hostilo crowd, they said in their interview on Thursday, on their return from a four months' visit to tho East. Their only | ofl'enco was giving alms to. a beggar | woman. For some time it appeared that they might have trouble in escaping, but Mr. Bell suddenly threw all his money on tho floor, and while tho guard and onlookers wero lighting for possession he and Mrs. Bell escaped. - "We had employed a guido to show us round Mukden," said Mr. Bell, describing tho adventure. "When wo had made a thorough tour I dismissed the 'guido. at the ontrauco to tho leading department sto'r'c. ' I intended taking a taxi to tho1 hotel-.■" As wo wero entering the store an old beggar woman asko'd for alms. I'"handed her some coins and walked on. "• Then when wo- word coming out sho raised a. great wail. People began to look at us and then a policeman came up.1 The old woman charged mo with hitting her on the head. I could not, understand what she was saying, but she put her hand to her head and showed that it was bleeding. Evidently sho had cut ,it to loud colour to her charge.. THREW MONEY ON TLOOR. "1 decided that tho -time had come to move on, but the policeman prevented mo with, his bayonet. After much talk, which I did not understand, my wifo and I were marched off through tho slums, down ono dark littlo alley after another until wo came to a sort.of monkey cage, into which wo woro forced. And there wo wero helpless, unable to -understand anything. It was as uncomfortable «i position as ono could wish for. For an hour and a quarter wo wpro kept there until I thought of throwing my money on tho floor. In.tho confusion which followed wo jnado our escape. But oven then wo wero not safe, for I had no-idea where wo wore, and no. taxidrivers speak English. It took another hour and a quarter to reach our hotel. I do not.wish.ever to bo m a tighter spot." NO SATISFACTION. Mr. Bell..added that iii tho afternoon ho visited the British Consul, who stated that thero wero constant complaints about similar happenings, but that', owing to tho unsettled state of .the country he could got n'o_ satisfaction from the authorities. ..His .wife remarked that she was. afraid to go into the street, and'her only recreation outsido tho Consulate garden was to drive in her car to the- main store, do somo shopping, and return homo. It was not safe fpr white women to bo seen on the streets. ' A possible solution was provided by a. Chinese missionary Whom Mr. and Mrs. Bell met when they, wero viewing the Great Wall. Informed of what had happened in Mukden, ho said that the''polled;andI'the old woman'might have been in/conspiracy together. It was a ciuito common occurrence at that time. Ho added that it was dangerous to go down any small alleys. Ono might bo found lying with oue|s head broken. . Asked whut- she -thought of China and Japan, Mrs. Bell Baid that thero was a great contrast between tho two countries. China was torribly dirty, whilo Japan was well ordered and clean.' But tho Chinese women were fascinating. "They aro wearing a closefitting, sheath-liko dress with tho skirt split to about threo inches above tho knoo, to show their beautiful silk stock- j ings and- laco underclothes.. They arc really lovely. Many have adopted Westoru dross, which suits them." _ The general public in both couritnos. wero everywhere charming, but the affair at Mukden had: .rather ruined tho■"mcindry, said :Mvs. 8011. [