During the first 2,000 miles after leaving Manchouli (Manchuria) it was very interesting to see women and. children with big bouquets of wild lily-of-the-valley offering at 5 kopecks. Lupins and clphiniums and many other flowers were seen growing in their wild state in hundreds alongside the railway. At Moscow, 8 days from Harbin, we were 23 hours La and so' we all had to make a das' in cars from the station across city to the other station for the train to Warsaw. This is where the light Tuggage was handy. I stayed a night at Warsaw to get rid of some of the dust, and moved on the following ight, as there 8 were signs of rioting.
Newspapers In Geneva reported looting the] following evening.
A run of 16 hours brought us Vienna and I stayed there 2 night and got rid of more dust. Anot'ier run of 26 hours brought me to Geneva and there I settled dowie to ket some dry-cleaning and laundry done and several baths to get rid and dust. "Money here is }25 Swiss frnnes=£1. Hotel rates faret—Room with h, and ¢, from 5 and breakfast P, 1.75, lunch F. 4 andedinner F. 5, T am fixed up en pension at F,'9 per day, room sou all meals included, This is} pretty good until you compare it the French hotel and vension rates. The French frane iched 224 to £1, i.e, practically 9 penny each French frane, Just to. try it, have taken a French train "from Geneva to Marseilles and then on to the French Riviera, Mentone, ete. At this French Hotel Princess Tam paging F. 40 for Yoom and full boar! and at a penny per frane you see it runs out about Rs, Gl. per day all found. While the French frane keeps so low, the Swiss figure of Swiss franes 9 per ay (food inclusive) ig expensive comparison.
The French train took 18 hours! to get here (Mentone) from Geneva jand the 2nd Class single fare was French franes 180 (say, 158.), These figures make you think when! yeu compare them With the cost iving in Shanghai, Food is good plentiful. The present is the loft-season and so many shops are closed until September 1. The beach is of clean shingle and seems about half a mile long. As you know, there is but little rise or fail in the tide. For those who love strong sun and heaps of sea bathing it is tres bon, In spite of the sinking condition! of the French franc, good wine Seems very plentiful and samples come along at knock-out prices. Fancy getting a demievin, about 23 large claret glasses full, nicely cooled, for 13 franc, so; Canada attained a record last] year in automobile production. In this Dominion there are 11 factories in the industry, and amongst them they turned cut 124,458 private Passenger ears, 22,144 trucks, and 168 chassis—total 161,970, representing an increase of 22° per 10 per cent. over the total production of 1924 and 1923 respectively.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.