Inhabitants Anxious for Sun Chuan-fang's Return recent arrival in, Shanghai from a tour through a part of Chekiang, province on behalf of his mission has an interesting account of the reactionary inst the Nationalist authorities) which now prevails in Chekiang.
According to this missionary informant, who had occasion to speak with many Chinese merchants and gentry, considerable anxiety is be-Ing experienced throughout the province on account of the heavy drain on their resources by the present, authorities. The comment every-"ephings were better under Sun Chuan-fang." As an evidence of the truth of this the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce at Shaoshing were prepared to welcome Marshal Sun about a month ago be: fore the collapse of his first offense ive, Posters and proclamations had been sent by Marshal Sun to his erstwhile supporters in the Chamber who were to broadcast these as soon as he had reached Nanking. The information was given, on good authority, also, to the missionary visitor in Shaoshing that it was a Keen disappointment when these proclamations, telling the people of Sun's return and friendly intentions, had to be destroyed. That they were destroyed at the first turn in the tide was not, apparently, made 'a secret as the members of the chamber declared it was not their intention to endanger their perso Shaoshing Heavily Taxed Squeeze, under Sun's regime, was not to be compared with present methods of extraction, the merchant classes are unanimous in—saying. Shaoshing, being a large and'conservative city dependent upon its commercial relations for prosperity, been one of the most. heavily taxed in the province. With the present impairment to trade of all kinds and the excessive burden of taxation in every conceivable direction, the old story of Chinese militarism, whether Nationalist. or otherwise, is recounted. According to our informant, it is, however, 18 the reaction hat cities visited in foreign was asked why mission schools. the missionary were not returning to open up
question was British, belonging to a consular ities] policy is one of hold
in the province again, the answer made was simply that no attempt would be made to return until conditions in the province warranted it.
Schools are being opened in many sections of the province by Chinese mission workers, but on the other hand a large number remain at the present time, Other places show practically ud anti-foreign feeling on the surface, and @ cot mentary on the situation is provided in the blandly ignoring attitude taken by the crowds of Chinese around posters depicting Japanese and British artillery directed upon Chinese women and children, These posters are scattered liberally along the railway and at all the principal stations, but the attitude of the crowds is described as entirely wi concerned and unseeing.
In Ningpo a radical element is still present, according to the travel ler, but there also little attention paid by the crowd to the exhort tions of these paid agents.
An example is supplied in the mei attendant upon the. opening of the Hsin Pekin steamer service ta Ningpo from Shanghai. As this steamer is the only British one make ing the trip, a special agitation w forthwith created when the service was resumed following the B.
strike. A society was formed fealled the Pekin Boycott Society and application made by it for regi tion with the authorities, plication was refused, but, nothing deterred, the society tending diligently departure of the steamer and trying to a boycott. Stun speakers entertain the crowd while 13 to and fro loading the nee in Ningpo by foreign women and children is now authoriz~ ed by British consular authorities, According to our informant, but the sine is Not true of either Hangchow or Shaoshing, where the only permise sion given' is for visits by malo missionaries to the centres adminis tered by their respective missions. This applies to British consular advices, it is understood certain' other nationals are return ing to interior places in Chekiang.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.