MANCHUKUO: Dont Bust Yourselves

“Dont Bust Yourselves”

Brave and British to the core is 19-year-old Mrs. Kenneth Pawley of Newchang on the Japanese South Manchuria Railway. Several weeks ago Chinese bandits kidnapped Mrs. Pawley (a bride of three months), her two dogs (an Irish setter and an Alsatian) and one Mr. Corkran who calls Mrs. Pawley “Tinko.” Last week anxious friends received a grimy ransom note, demanding $100,000 mex. (about $30,000), failing which Mrs. Pawley’s and Mr. Corkran’s ears would be cut off. Appended was a postscript from Mrs. Pawley:

“Please send me a powder puff, face cream and a lipstick. I don’t want anything else but a bath. The bandits intend to keep moving until the pursuit ceases. Please persuade the police and soldiers to keep away, otherwise they say we will be killed.

“I feel in a vile temper with the fools. They probably will want an extortionate ransom, but please don’t bust yourselves.”

Three days later the Pawley kidnapping took a dramatic turn. Mrs. Pawley’s big Alsatian escaped and, footsore and half-starved, found his way back to the home of her father, where he barked and barked. A frightened peasant reported that he had seen Mrs. Pawley hidden in a hut only 30 miles from Newchang, that she was well treated, but needed food. It was a great chance for Japanese authorities to show how much they are needed in Manchuria. The British Consul General in Mukden and Japanese Commander-in-Chief General Muto held several conferences, finally decided to pay a ransom. Meanwhile Mrs. Pawley’s father received a note from kidnapped Mr. Corkran:

“If cash isn’t forthcoming within four days you will receive our ears as reminder and later our corpses.

“Tinko [Mrs. Pawley] is wonderfully brave and cheery, but she can’t stand this sort of thing forever. We’ve done nothing but eat and sleep for a week. We are filthy and bored stiff, but we’re both fit and well treated.”

Enclosed was a second note from Tinko, omitting mention of cosmetics:

“Get us out as soon as possible. They are going to cut off our ears and I rather want to keep mine. For God’s sake be quick. We have a week to live before we are shot.”

Announced the British Consul General, “I have sent a messenger and later I have even sent a second messenger, urging the bandits to send a competent agent to expedite our negotiations for the liberation of Mrs. Pawley and Mr. Corkran. It appears that heavy rains have delayed the return of the messengers and the arrival of the intermediary.”

Came no intermediary but a letter from the bandits breathing purest Chinese patriotism. “We will return Mrs. Pawley and Mr. Corkran free” they wrote “on condition that Japan first returns Manchuria to China, otherwise we demand a ransom of $1,000,000 gold.”