I went to Kueitehfu 10 days azo to rest from my long strain here, and as I left there three days ago the people were in great excitement in the prospect of an attack by Chen Ao-vai from Kikungshan, who has recently joined the Shantung and Wu Pei-fu forces. The Chen Tai at Kueitehfu was reported uncertain: what to do, If he could-only know which side was to win he would immediately be able to make up his mind. On the streets here yesterday there was a wild rumour that fighting was going on in Kueitehfu and that Suen Tien-ying had taken Kaifengfu and would probably become the military Governor!! The telegraph office told me they were open to both places and did not know of such events, T can see very little influence checking street expenditures this New Year time over ordinary years and one very sad thing is that we see more places selling firecrackers, opium using inptements and cigarettes than of any' other' two or three articles and that no} one of these articles helps to feed or clothe the needy and suffering' T was also told the other day that. morphine pills are much on the, increase, even in country places. My informant said that even beggars were getting the habit! If that curse, opium, whiskey and cigarette: could' be removed from this section and the money now expended. i those things given to public improvements and schools this would a marvellously prosperous cop!
The weather has continued rather cold, though not very severe for about three months and while we have had not much rain or snow there has been enough to keep the wheat going on in a good way and People seem hopeful, despite all their troubles from ' bandits and sary people.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.