Poor Response to Swatow Relief Fund Appeal: The General TInzecurity of Life Canton, Aug. 10
Lack of confidence in their own Government has ied many long-sutlering shippers to demand foreign bottoms for the transportation of their goods and some native launch-owners fo display foreign flags. This action is much criticized by the younger citizens, who charactevize it as treason to the country.
The recent "fratricidal" wars in the south have created a strong "clan" prejudice among the less educated in Kuangtung. The fearful loss of life and property near Swatow and vicinity in the typhoon of August 2 is not arousing the usual response to charity appeals. Instead of the famous nine chant-* able institutions of Canton, it is the Chaochow Guild which has taken the initiative in the fund campaign for relief of the sufferers.
Many Canton shopkeepers whose business has been ruined by looting by Chen Chiung-ming's troops say that the spoils thus gained by the culprits are sufficient to reconstruct Siatow and other Chaochow towns, daining that most of Gen Chen's followers are motives of Waichow and Chaochow The more enlight tened Cantonese, however, are doing their best to raise a large relief fund, although the recent war and the present ''dant? prejudice have made conditions very unfavourable for getting money here.
The more influential leaders of the community are now absent from Canton. The frequent arrest of political suspects and opponents in charges of sedition and the like has made it exceedingly dangerous for the wealthy to live peacefully here. As.the demand for Government jobs is always greater. than the supply, the reason for the maintenance of the large secret service to oust all political opponents cam be understood. Well-to-do Cantonese who can afford to do so now prefer to live away from Canton.at least for a time being.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.