The Popular Warden and the Unpopular and a Rice Bowl At Home hunger strikes among prisoners are or were not uncommon, but in China such an incident, like many others, causes not a little amazement and interest. Hence the strike declared in the Paoshan District Prison has attracted, not only the attention of tha District Magistrate and the High Provincial Court of Kiang-ssu at Soochow, but more than a column of space in the Chinese press, It appears that in the 7th year of the Republic a certain Chen was appointed prison warden. He did everything in his power to aid the prisoners to better themselves in life. He towght them to read and write as well as various forms of handicrafts. The prisonerg were well cared for and given an amount of freedom which they appear to have enjoyed. "They were like freemen" and! wera never put in irons. As a result, of Warden Chen's efforts the prisoners worked hard to redeem for their lurid past, appreciating always very much Mr. Chen's kindness, Mr. Chen went so far as to give them self-government and the prisoners elected from among themselves 2 monitor, a man named Shih, who had been in prison for nearly 10 years and whose term of sentence would terminate at a not very distant date. This man Shih had charge of the feeding arrangements. He was given the money (six cents a meal, two meals a day) every day to purchase rice and "various dishes"' en rice was cheap, he managed to give the prisoners mora rice and when 't was scarce and dear, he gave them Tess.
Nevertheless the men were contented, serving their terms happily under the "administration" of Warden Chen for several years. However, this was not to be kent. up. Orders were received by Chen that he was to hand over his office to anew man named Pang, from the Sungkiang Prison.
Warden QOhen left and Pang took his place. Things began te take a turn in the opposite direction. The prisoners were given no chance to prosecute their studies. and their new handicrafts. Men were put in irons—an_ incident which never happened during the Chen regime. They were beaten. They wera given no tea to drink.
The climax came, however, when Warden Pang ordered the removal of the prisoners' old monitor, Shih, and placed, him in a dark room for "squeeze" in connexion with the purchase of foods. The Warden's own friend was put in charge of the kitchen. Foods were cooked outside the prison walls and! brought inside and not inside as: in the days of Chen. Then the men were allowed to cook and food
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.