While discussing with Hsieh Yin-po the possibility of a movement such as his, among an ill-informed and semi-illiterate '*proletariat," running amok, the question of the army came up and Hsieh proved himself a true Mars by remarking that there was no real field for labour propaganda or socialistic propaganda within the army because the) soldiers did not come from the industrial classes but were for the most part the sons of farmers—petty capitalists in othe words. In spite of this statement:, one of the Mutual Aid Society's socialistic organs recently announced the formation of committees to carry the good word to the hoys with the guns. A glimpse of the soldiers and police in the streets saluting the workmen's patrols also makes the visitor pause and think, and ought to interest. people like Chen Chiung-ming. In fact it probably does interest him and his people, enough at least to prompt them to look the other way so that they cannot tell a wooden pistol from a real one, so that they do not have to remark that that particular pistol should by rights be hanging up in one of the police barracks.
Another remark of Hsieh's, which bore upon Wu_ Pei-fu's situation and prospects, was sug-festive. He conceded that tacticaily Wu Pei-fu was invincible in his present position if he kept his forces together. But, said he, "suppose that his soldiers will not fight for him?"
He made this remark with a complacent smile and the writer remembered that there is a railway worker's union on the Kin-Han railway and that Hsieh Yin-po is 'o touch with it, as the presence of the man from Chang Hsin Tien in his office proved.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.