'A recent ten days" visit to one of the principal market-centres of this. region, 50° to the west of Tsangchow, in the populous county of 'Telen-hsien, has' given one furiously to think. Living in the guest-quarters a comparatively well-to-do Chinese home, with the privileges of an old friend, afforded " valuable " glimpses Into the domestic life of the. people, for the most part, a sealed book to the foreigner. Moreover, renewed contacts with other friends in the village shed much light upon political and focal "problems of the day in the funeral. The maiden was buried in beautiful silken robes, decked with expensive gold ornaments and jewels a glittering bait for ru@lans in these visited by the communist forces. days, when the iting of Imperial {ents Ines become a. Iseretive trade. 'The inevitable heppened in Pao Tou and the grave has" been rudely de-Secrated, "The father's rage. is" unontrolable and. summary executions nurpects have been the order' {he day without semblance of trial. Naturaliy""suspelon has fallen. upon those members of the. generals "The total impression left upon the mind after such an experience is distinctly' disquieting. "Intelligent Chinese are profoundly disturbed over present conditions and here appears Tittle to alleviate the gloomy nature of the outlook. From a fairly intimate Knowledge of Chinese manners and customs, extending over a great many years, your correspondent has no hesitation in saying that the demoralzation of society. to-day has reached pitch far beyond that which is repute to have brought about the downfall of the late Ching dynasty. Sir Re-unald Johnston has shown us the amazing corruption of Court life in the early years of the century, but the itch plague from the favoured protected few through the length and breadth of the land, with a swiftness that eaves one appalled, Candid Chinese felends admit it in private conversa tion with a gesture of despair, seeing possibility of stemming the tide of disaster.
The el vii wars of the nineteen twenties have sown dragon's teeth in China, producing a baneful harvest that it will take years to radic One feature of that decade was the meteoric rise to power and affluence of military commanders, who, with In amassing untold weath, ither they or their heir enjoying in' comparative Though now bereft of legions, they still exerels dous influence through the power of the purse, and the trail of these repiiles is seen even in the most remote Places, Their intrusion Into an other-Wwise peaceful country district is like the depredations of "python, who strangles and then obsotbs his. prey the persons of a selected number of inoffensive country-talk. A litle Tocal history: will exemplify my subject.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.