Peiping, Jan. 12.
There was in my youth, at country: fairs at-home, a popular game of sill called, if T_ remember rightly, "Aunt Sally," where you had three hies at a doll for a penny yott succeeded in knocking the jady over, you won a prize, and 1 fresh doll was sct up, only to be mocked down again, until one's pennies were exhausted, From the netlvities of the Kwangiung, Army people In these parts during the last year, it would appear that this game of "Aunt Sally" Is a popular one Japan, 'The number of "Aunt Sallles' hey have been setting up, only prompt to take a "slue" at them: s quite astonishing, To name only a few of the more important, In the order in which they have been knocked over, we have! Generals Huang Fu, Ho Ying-chin, Shang Chen, Col. Yuan Liang, and Mr. ¥in Tung. (An ominously descending scale, by the way). ast month the Japanese set up three fresh figures, Generals Sun Cie-yuan. Hislaq Cheng-ying and Mr. Yin Ju-kung, and one gathered from their pronouncements that these were, at last to be left standing: the game, was finished, But the fascination of this form of sport seems to be too strong for them, Already, they are' hard at it taking shies at their Tatest dolls. The missiles are beginning to fly very close, and one may expect to see fresh "Aunt Sallles" put up at The "Sincere" General Three recent incidents tave raised the ire of the Japanese and awakened double In their hearts as to the "sincerity" of Gen. Sung of whose sin-canty they were so firmly convinced only, three short weeks ago. These fare the row at the Peiping fate, the fight at Tangku, and the attack on the railway. "The Peiping " Japanese ox-Servicemen's Association were indignant that they keld a meeting and called for strong notion to punish these. insults to, the Japanese army. And General Tada has been firing off a perfect volley of protests, threats and demands at General Sung and Hsiao. We might almost be back in the old times of the wicked "Young Marshal" Instead of inthe halcyon days of the Independent Government fof Hopel-Chahar under the blessing of the Kwantung Army.
The vow at the gale, not otherwise of importance, ix Interesting os an example in-small_ of Sino-Japanese Felations generally. Divested of the exaggerations and special pleadings which have appeared in the press messages of either side, the true story Would appear to be as follows-—Shortly. after 10 pam. on, Sunda: January 5, a truck from Tungchow witty seven Japanese soldiers arrived ft the Chaoyangmen, one of the east fates of the city, only to find it Closed at that Into hour. For it must bbe noted that Peiping, in this matter. still-adheres to the customs of the Middle Ages. All the outer gates of the elly ave closed every night strletat 0,30 o'clock and unless one has speelat pass nobody can enter oF Teave the city after, that hour.
Most foreigners who have lived in Peiping for any length of time have became so attached to this good old medineval custom that they conside> perfectly right and natural and would, T believe, be unable to sleco peacefully in their beds, if they Thought that the elly gates were loft open all night. The Japanese party Nad no pass, nor do they appear th Have troubled to send a phone message (o their Legation. "Demi-gods. perhaps, da not think of such small Matters: gates and everything else 'OURhL to open of themselves for them.
But a gate Is a gate in China, and it it hag Been Kept closed by precedent ever since the Sung Dynasty, why. then of course, it must be kept closed now. 0 the police refused to open the gate In spite of all the hammerings and cursings of tke Japanese. However, they rang up their superiors. But, og is usual nowadays in China, it took a very long time before they could get hold of anyone who was willing to issue an administrative order of such a definite kind as that of opening of gate,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.