Yangchow, Mar. 30.
Mr. Takasu, for nine years the Salt Gabelle inspector in Yangchow, has handed in his resignation, to take effect at the end of this month. Many have expressed regret over his resignation and a telegram was received from Peking the local salt commissioner's office, urging that Mr, Takasu should continue in the position which he has filled so well.
Mr. Takasu recently erected tablet at Pingsantang, three miles northwest of Yangchow, to commemorate the work of a Buddhist priest who went to Japan from Yangchow during the 'T'ang Dynasty, about 1,200 years ago. In a book giving an account of the life of this priest, whose name was Chan Chen, we are told that two Japanese who were studying here at that time were influenced by this man and urged him to go to their country to spread the Buddhist religion. The priest consented. He tried five times to cross the sea to Japan, being. prevented each time from doing so, by robbers on one occasion and by a storm on another. He became blind, due to the hardships he suffered, but tried a sixth time to reach Japan and was successful. A building was erected for him and over 430 Japanese, including all classes, from the Emperor's family down to the common people, received, instruction' from him. Over 80) Buddhist priests accepted the new teachings he brought them. Although blind, he was an authority on Buddhist teachings and errors were brought to him for correction. He classified medicines, using the sense of smell, and was a means of promoting the knowledge of med-cine in Japan. He died at the age of 77, having served 55 years as a Buddhist priest.
A noted Japanese artist, Mr. Hashimoto, and.two pupils from Osaka, were in Yangchow recently, staying with Mr. Takasu. Mr. Hashimoto is known from his paintings under the name of Kuansetsu. He is travelling throug China at this time, making sketches of many places. of beauty and historic interest. A photographer accompanies him, photographing jail the scenes which the artist is sketching. Mr. Hashimoto spent number vi days in Yangchow, making many sketches of scenes in the city and along the waterway to the northwest of Yangchow, at Shawchingsan and Pingsantang. panic-stricken, dropped the chair land the occupant was thrown into the roadway but was later lifted back to his seat and taken to he police station, afterwards being sent to hospital. The. assailant escaped.
General Chan_ Wing-son is the eldest son of Mr. Chan Chih-yue, the former Civil Governor of Oan-ton, and was Director-General of the Canton Arsenal during General Chen Chiung-ming's régime.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.