The Chinese who are displeased have only themselves to blame. Covetousness hag won over their better sense. Like Esau, they have sold their rights for a mess of pottage. Along comes Mr. Ma and says through a middle man, "I want to buy your land." Mr. Han shakes his head: "You are a Moslem, we are Chinese." A little time elapses and Mr. Ma begs, borrows or steals vice the value of the land. He comes and places this before the villager. It works like a charm. What Chinese would resist? Mr. Han moves out and Mr. Mai moves in. Soon appear grand uncles, second cousins, and other relations near and far. Ere long there is an inn and a food shop sign hangs out over the road. Gradually other property is bought. This is just in allegorical form what happened and is happening in places all over the district. A Moslem family moving into a Chinese community has much the same effect as a negro family would have, moving into a congested white district in America where racial feeling is tense. The neighbouring white families would move ext and that is just what the Chinese often do.
The Civil and Military Governors at Lanchow have only a limited control over General Ma. At present, six out of the seven hsien year, but all will be appointed from Sining. At present the officials appointed are all Chinese, but they are under the power of the General. Besides the civil magistrate, there is in nearly every district a military force as well. These are all under the General. It is understood that he has this power from. Peking, yet it is a much more substantial and continuous power than that held by any recent government in Peking.
These items are sent to show how matters are tending in this faraway corner of Kansu, where a man you meet one day hawking his wares on the street, you may meet soon after acting the Tao-L. Truly, here officials seem to grow up over night.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.