The last month has brought more than the usual fears and uncertain ties. Large numbers of troops from Kansu have marched out east in their black fur caps and with their banners flying, only to be back again within a week, when, after a day or two's rest, they have set off age on the same road to T'ang-'And always no clear answer to the question "What is happening?"—still less to the question "What is going to happen?"
Bandits have been busy and the cities of Chowelith and Huksien to the west have. been occupied by them. There seems to have been a rising of the peasantry against the exactions of the Provincial Government and the men of the Second Army, the disbanded—soldiers formerly under Hu Li-sheng, ce-operated with them. Grain and silver have had to be wrung out [or the half-starved people to feed the soldiers. In this hsien alone in three days a levy was laid of 3400,- 600,—$300,000 from the city of Sianfu and $100,000 from the coun Then last week came rumours and visible signs of a general retreat of the Kuominchan from Honan. Many thousands of tired men came tramping back and all the cities are once again overflowing with them, They. are not particu lar as to what, houses they occupy and have got food and firewood from the people along the road, how they are to be fed when the whole province has probably not iaore than two or three months supply of grain is an.unsolved problem. The latest zumour is that they are marching east again to reoccupy West Honan to that may a temporary, solution.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.