About four days ago a communication came, from General Lu's headquarters saying that his elder brother had gained a victory having taken the city of Lokiang and driven the Chengtu troops back as far as Pehmakuan (about 2 li the other side of Lokiang). News yesterday said that they had been driven back as far as Teh-yang, that is 50 li from Lokiang. Sceptics on the street, however, are saying that this is only a blind; that travellers from Loklang declare the city has not been and that the General is only trying to bolster up his prestige. The quiet state of affairs at present reigning would seem to support the truth of the news. Perhaps we have to remember too that the majority of people in Mienchow do not want General Lu to win.
The boys and girls of the mission schools are safely through their examinations and are now for the most part on their way home.
The shops in the city have shut for a few days and the military have issued a proclamation commanding the shopkeepers to open on pain of being beaten 100 strokes. T understand that three men have already been beaten for not obeying this order.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.