From Ove OWN ConnesronDENT, Chengtu, Sze, Apr. 25, "Peace at any price," yes, but what is the price? Villages, market towns and cities, crammed full to supply one hundred, two hundred bushels of rice daily, gentry taxed hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of dollars, the country con stantly scoured for recruits, The price is undoubtedly heavy, yet it is true that the roads of the western part of Szechuan have not been so clear of brigands for several years. The roads leading out of Chengtu, toget sent conditions do not deceive anyone, all know it is the iron hand of militarism, a hand that cannot be trusted over night, that however suppliant and tranquil to-day, tomorrow easily becomes the mailed firt.
One of the characteristics of Western Szechuan is. its temples, guilds, and Ancestral halls, Mil-ions "must have been spent, every town is largely made up of temple property, 'They were built to brings peace and prosperity. To-day these temples, guilds, ete. Jere the barracks of' the armies.
Even the city god temple is not exempt. A proclamation recently sent out forbidding the soldiers to camp in the Confucian temples, shows thai these were not being respected, Recently the people in a city 20 les from the Capital were led to build a new temple, being assured that a, certain god would the city, No expense was. spared Seareely were the last finishing touches completed, when the soldiers took pos All vespect for the thin considered sacred has building once occupied is soon a wreck. Firewood is needed, and floors and partitions are quite suitable, Stables are needed and if there are no outbuildings, the inner rooms will do.
But why are so many children from 12 to 16, now found march~ ing at the tail end of their marches or drills? An officer explained, Able-bodied men without coughs, or physical weaknesses of seme kind are becoming sear they cannot stand the strain, so we have to fall back on a younger generation, China's manhood and even boyhood is now being taught to be para sites or brigands. Family" life is broken, diseased unfortunates in their so-called flowery streets, transmit their degenerating germs, te be perpetuated later among th very classes that China might hope would some day become her re~
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.