At the beginning of the week was possible to book by train as far as Chengchow; to-day it is doubtful whether a passenger would get! beyond Yencheng, though the Chinese Post Office is still accepting heavy mail matter for places as far up the line as Sichow. This fact alone indicates serious trouble in the section of Honan immediately south of the Yellow River.
When seeking an explanation of the trouble one thinks first of the action of Fan Chung-hsin, who is said to be in revolt against' Marshal Feng. Fan is a Honanese of the Honanese and is regarded with rear esteem by his fellow-provincials. He has always been a devoted follower of Sun Yat-sen, and outwardly it is for this reason that common talk in Honan that Borodin has made his way arrayed as a Chinese to Kaifeng. Persons who have previously met Borodin have no doubt of the real identity of a Russian who has large influence with the Marshal. And it is said Fan and others resent this fresh development of the influence of Moscow as they realize that the Nationalist cause has already been this alliance with Taxation is heavy in all parts of China, but it has been as heavy in Honan that the people look far deliverance from their present Military Governor and would welcome anyone who can promise better treatment. The growth of the Red Spear movement is directly cunnected with this question of taxation. The people feel that they must combine together to resist the ex-tortious of the tax-collectors, among whom they seem to include anyone in a grey uniform.
The Red Spears It ie never easy to get information about a Chinese Secret Society, and the Red Spears are members of such an organization. Every family is expected to have-at least one person enrolled in this organization, and it la said that this demand is enforced on the Christian families. The result is weird. The Red Spears are idolaters, but they are not Buddhists or Taoists. They may use an existing temple for their rites, or they may set apart a house. Each group has an idol, but even though he may be taken from a temple he ceases to be a god in the Buddhist pantheon and is given the name of some great hero. Each time the band gathers the members worship this idol, and it is understood that they have a secret Classic which is read to the gathering. All possible precautions fre taken to prevent the uninitinted, who may watch the worship, rom seeing the Classic or hearing it read.
Being a practical folk, the Red Spears have made a compromi with the Christians who are enrol-Ted. The Christian Red Spears do not take part in the worship of the idol-hero, but they do listen to the reading of the Classic. On the other "hand, the band sometimes assembles outside the place of worship and allows a Christian to ex-hart them to righteousness. Adultery and robbery are specially condemned by the band, and there is therefore some amount of common ground which the Christian preach-cover, Ht that there is not the slightest' hostility to the use of the name of Jesus in such preaching.
Some days ago it was reported that Marshal Feng had asked Wei Yi-shan to attack Fan in the rear.
To do this Wei would have to march his men overland from Tehang. to some point on the railway, and a passenger who travelled' down yesterday from Kuangshui reports that troops were assembled there awaiting transport up the line, Kuangshui station is situated almost on the Hupeh-Honan border and these troops were all expecting to join Feng in his advance on Peking. It was reported. that the Red Spears had undertaken to obstruct the line this side of Chengchow, and the fact that the trains are not running to Chengchow would indicate either that the line has been blocked beyond Stichow else that fighting is now tak place in that district between Wei' men and those who have revolted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.