Reduction of Soldiery: Gambling to Be Abolished: Friendly Dealing with Hongkong Canton, Mar. 19.
Yesterday, Dr. Sun Yat-sen invited to the Bureaw of Finance over 400 prominent persons, including journalists, when he made a statement in the main og follows:—"The most urgent and important problem in the South of to-day is tha curtailment of soldiery, which, however, cannot be carried through without money. The funds required for the purpose can be raised by no other means than the flotation of domestic or foreign loans. Though I take no exception to floating either of these loans, I have now under consideration a plan for raising the necessary funds by the flotation of domestic "Another very important question, norist to the curtailment of]. soldiery, is how to prohibit gambling. In the existing circumstances of Canton, however, the practice of gambling is ai necessity as ai to replenish the deficiency of military funds. I that by curtailment of soldiery, reduction in military expenditure will be effected and that gambling will then be prohibited.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.