Peking, April 1.
The following is an extract from the report of the Chinese Official Observer, dated Chita, March 14:
"Though Eastern Zaibaikalia used to be the land of plenty, and strapping peasant girls were wont to bring their farm produce of cooked poultry, fresh butter, cream, milk and eggs to the stations on the arrival of trains, ioday nothing can be bought for love or money. The station buffets are closed and so are the boutiques. Even the itinerant hawkers are no longer to be seen.
"Tt ist their fault that the few paying travellers must go hungry, fur the majority of those who use the railway these days are "locals" and consequently have no money except Buffer or Soviet paper notes, which nobody wants. Besides this, there are plenty of hungry soldiers, railway employees, etc. to be found at every station, and therefore the peasants run risks, for empty stomachs often revolt when food is close at hand. This temptation the peasants know well by now and therefore they keep away with their wares,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.