Rice Crisis Passed—Shanghai Military Governorships—
Arbitrary Mandates—Need for a Foreign Minister Political developments of a sort have been going on, but as nothing of a constructive character has been achieved, the Chinese people, that is, the upper classes, are still on tiptoe in expectation of further movements in high quarters. The Chinese [Press, with Few exceptions; are sounding a pessimistic note in their comment on the situation and in their forecast for the future.
The rice crisis may be considered to be over. No apprehension of a rice famine need be felt. There and was, no scarcity of this corn, as local stock was sufficient meet all local requirements till the harvest of the new crop. The high price has been caused mainly the dealers' manipulation of the market and playing upon the panicky feeling of the people. Of course export and hoarding were also partially responsible for sending the price to an unprecedented height. Thanks to official and private efforts, supported by public opinion, no further anxiety need be entertained on the rice situation.
Some of the vernacular papers regret that remedial measures were not adopted more promptly and at an earlier date. Others call the attention of the authorities to the subterfuges resorted to by rice shops in evading their obligations, such as, selling mixed or inferior quality at. the maximum price officially allowed, charging their customers more than the legitimate figure for the best quality bit refusing to show this on their bills, and so on, Continued vigilance must be exercised to prevent diminution of the stock by smugglers, and cheap sale depots should be maintained as long as funds will permit, as the price, now ranging from $10 to $13 according to quality, is still considered far beyond the means of the poor.
Besides questions of a political nature, the formation of the new Cabinet, the abolition of the Tuchunate of Hunan, the Cabinet! and the military power, insincerity on both sides which is fatal to per-! manent peace, Hsu Shu-tseng and the present crisis, Wu Pei-fu's coup, and such like matters, very few topics of general interest have been discussed in the Chinese Press during the preceding week. Among other matters touched upon are the massacre of students at} Changsha, the floods in Hunan. Kiangsi, and elsewhere and Japan's alleged illegal actions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.