Peking, Mar. 10.
It will be admitted by most peo-pla who have given it any thought that the lack of communications has probably been the greatest fac-for in retarding the growth of Chinese industries, and in obstructing the development of the country along modern lines.
It does not yet seem to be realized, however, how vitally these communications or rather the lack of them, has affected the Famine situation in past years.
In nearly every case where a flood ov a drought has caused a famine in some particular area or areas, there has been an ample food supply in surrounding Provinces, if only means of transportation could have been found.
The greatest. difficulty was experienced by the American Red Cross last year in handling the Famine in Shantung on account of the absence of transport, which rendered it necessary to move the food for 200,000 people by carrier or wheelbarrow.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.