Unfortunately all this internecine war is paralysing trade and commerce and hindering progress, educational and commercial. The factual emergence of the Chinese merchant from the "dumb driven!
Jeattle" state of existence to "being: Jo hero in the strife" is still in the distant future. The war-lords are Jdemanding large grants from the merchants and the Tudor-Stuart' periods in history are being enacted in practically every town in the province. There is not much trade west of Ichang and this Inrge and wealthy province is slowly but surely Hosing all hope in the future. Towns like Tachienlu are very largely dependent on safe rosels and open Jeommunication with the coast. Practically all the produce of! Hsikang passes through this city Jand is exported from here to Shanghai. Many of the larger firms in the town are suffering} heavily at the present time as they! thave considerable expense in running a business without any trade. There is much pessimism'among the merchants and the hope of a speedy
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.