Amoy, Nov. 16.
Mr.. Tan Kah-kee has been visiting Shanghai in order to consult with his advisors on the Education Board with regard to the establishment of the preparatory course for the university which he is founding in Amoy. This course will cover three years, and will be taken in the present school at Chipbee, commencing in the spring of 1991. It will comprise higher training for normal work and science and art departments. He is also starting a girls' normal school into which girls from higher primary schools will be drafted.
Owing to the absence of Mr. Tan Kah-kee the work of the Society for the Suppression of Opium Cultivation in South Fu-Kien has not been so energetically prosecuted. Reports have been received from the various district magistrates, all couched in almost identical language, declaring that repressive measures are being taken, but reports from all other sources speak of a great recrudesence of opium planting with official connivance and encouragement. Indeed the officials have already received the first instalment of the tax collected for opium cultivation.
In the Tongan (faj¥#), Chang-tai ($29) and Changpoo (if) districts opium is being planted more extensively than ever.
I myself have visited in the Tongan district in the neighbourhood of Tungchimi-Mahong-Sinher CMAPS IRAS g7F) and seen that 'a great part of the country. is given up to opium, cultivation.
of only is every village cultivate ing it, but every family is said to. be doing so, and in cases where the male members of the family have gone abroad the women folk are busy planting and watering it. The people have been told to go ahead and plant, that there will strict proclamations issued forbidding cultivation, but that they need not be concerned about these, as when the opium has been gathered the official will use his own soldiers to make a show of destroying the exhausted plants.
Chanigchow is now garrisoned by northern troops, and arrangements are in progress for it to revert to the North at the end of the year.
Amoy received a visit from Admiral Gleaves in his flagship, the Huron, which was accompanied by the Brooklyn. On the day of leaving large numbers of American sailors obtained leave ashore and greatly enjoyed sightseeing.
On November 11 Armistice celebrations were held which included a gymkhana-on the Recreation Ground in the afternoon and a concert and dancing at the Amoy Club in the evening.
On October 29 Mr. H. Gladstone Reed assumed the duties of Secretary of the Kulangsu Municipal Council.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.