Numbers of people are waiting at] the railway stations to take trains going toward Harbin. There is still panic among them. Magy have come from far up the line and are moving on to places of safety. The situation seems hopeless to. them. There is fear and consternation, mong the White Russians because fof terrible treatment of those captured in the Three Rivers District, also among the Chinese because of killing, looting and burning of their homes far north of the Three} Rivers. They are all as sheep without a shepherd, wandering and decided as to what is best to do unstrange circumstances. The Chinese officials are too busy to people. are ive adequate attention to their} The White Russians ed, that they will be dealt severely by the Soviets because they, remained with the rai The Red Aeroplanes Since beginning this letter we have passed Chalantun where we! were told that yesterday the town' of Bukutu was bombed by Russian aeroplanes. The bombing lasted from noon until two o'clock in the afternoon. Four planes first came and dropped several bombs, then eleven others came. Nearly 150} bombs were used. The railway] workshops and hospital were destroyed. Three civilians were killed, and a few wounded. No soldiers} suffered, according to reports given here. Windows in the train, twas there at the time, were chatter~ ed, and the dining ear was burned. The railway track was damaged, but was repaired in two hours time, and the train has proceeded to Harbin packed with Chinese refugees, 1 ing to-night in cold cars, the w dows of which have been broken by bombs. It is reported that there is some looting and killing. As our car of food and clothing has gone fon ahead and this train is going on. to Bukutu, we have decided, how ever, to go on there to render suc assistance as possible, though there may be another air raid tomorrow. Large numbers of White Russian refugees from the Three Rivers Dis-have assembled at small vill in the cold. Some are travelling on foot, others by wagons, The ground is covered with snow, but Providence has been good for the many who these past months] have had to flee from their homes, some a distance of 200 miles, for the weather this autumn has been unusually mild, At daybreak we' are seeing almost n continuous stream of refugees along the road, horses, wagons, small groups of camels and many cattle. These probably from Bukutu, for we are now only about 15 miles from there. The people began fleeing from there with their animals just as soon as these could be gotten together after the bombing yesterday. We will do well, if] fable to get some of the the great Hingans to this The morning is breaking though there was some snowfall during the night. The Hingan mountains are beautiful. The ait is ferisp and fresh, but not very cold. There are marks of distress on every. hand, however, for the trains we pass are filled to overflowing with Tefugees, many hanging on, some riding between the ears, and not a few clinging to.the tops. At the! small station just. passed many are waiting to board the trains, but are tunable to got on. The speed with which the people are driving their arts and their cattle and the caer ness with which others are trying to board the trains shows—that there is much fear among them. At Yala, a station just passed, one of our party stopped off with four large bags of bread, 20 pounds of igor, three pounds of tea and.10 Harbin dollars. This will be of some help to those who are in need, but} it is far too little.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.