The hopes that the brigandage pest would be modified by the cutting of the kaoliang in the districts northeast from Kueiteh have been quite falsified by the event. A visit through Ucheng and Mamuh up towards the Shantung border shows that kidnapping is going on as merrily as ever and what between the soldiers and the robbers the people are in a very evil plight The task of suppressing the brigands in this district has been entrusted to a special officer, Chang Teh-sheng, with the military rank of Ling, and a force of Chang Kuei-ti's I chuen.
This force with their blue uniforms are composed of a mixture of Fengtien men and local riff-raff and how well the task of brigand suppression is being carried out may be judged by the fact that the inhabitants of Mamuh say the place will be nothing but a wilderness in a year or two if Chang, Si Ling, does not remove, The troops have received no pay since the third month and besides browbeating the, populace and taking possession of every building they possibly can, they are continually threatening mutiny and keeping the people in a continual state of apprehension. They will not fight the brigands and their officers dare not try to force them or they would certainly kick over the traces and go to join the robber ranks.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.