Peking, Sept. 9.
A letter from a Reuter corres-tendent at Taiyuanfu, dated September 6, says that the Shansi authorities were very busy in the middle of August in taking measures against the outlaw menace from Honan, Shensi and Fengchen, According to information received by the Provincial Government there Were some 40,000 bandits around Shansi, Refugees were coming into Shansi from all directions, in thousands. Yungehen was full of these visitors. Even the family of the ctovernor of Shensi had crossed the Yellow River and had taken refuge in Shansi. Adequate mi tary preparations had been taken to cope with the outlaws if they crossed the border, but none risked that adventure, The people of Shansi are continu ing to show the keenest interest in local self-government. Shansi has 105 hsiens and each has sent a delegate to Taiyuanfu to attend meetings regarding self-government. Big meetings took place in Taiyuan on September 2, 3 and 4, These were attended by 55 Magistrates, the students of the capital and neighbouring towns and cities, by teachers, merchants, gentry and village elders. On Septem-. ber 2 a_ procession was formed in which 20,000 people took part. Governor Yen addresses the Magistrates and other delegates every morning, and attends the public meetings in the afternoon. The public meetings are now over, but arrangements have been made for the 52 Magistrates and 105 dele-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.