West Szechuan has every prospect of a good spring crop. Up to the present this section has been fairly free from robbers. Unfortunately within a month news has.come that the big road between Chengtu and Chungking is not safe. for travel-jets. The river route which had been quite safe, is again infested at certain points, and much inconvenience and loss of personal effects have resulted.
These, however, are only the bubbles that indicate a more dangerous condition beneath. There is 2 pessimistic tinge in the conversation of those who are in touch with the different political currents flowing through the province. That peace preserved more through compromises than by any special reverence or attachment of one leader for another is evidenced by the watchful attitude of those who are in command of troops or have jurisdiction over certain areas.
While long Kenominal military head, interesting to know what authority ho has outside of the Chengtu district. He seems satisfied, at the present. to keep quiet and enjoy what glory may come to the oceupant of the highest seat of officialdom in the province. Ho must be conscious that he is surrounded by other leaders who exercise anthority over larger districts and who are as ambitious as he himself was to be at the ton. A false step at any moment might start a conflagration.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.