Dwellers within the Methodist Harbin, Apr, 0 Work has been commenced' on the been a continuous sound of blasting, both day and night. as huge tunnels are: being cut into the various rocky cliffs. round about, The general surmise Is that air-raid shelters, tunnels: and ant-aircraft gun emplacements are being prepared, but neither the papers nor the people are allowed to discuss this programme of defence.
Since these operations generally ate conducted beside the grave yards Which ling the hills round the city, consternation reigns among the older and. more superstitious families who fare taking special precautions to have a suflcient number of rites and prayers celebrated by local priests to vert the otherwise dire possibilities.
The leading merchants of the port through which the road has to go. Already two of the guard who were with him, were killed. He reports bad famine conditions back Hengshan.
There is considerable speculation in foreign circles as to the.meaning of the heavy shipments of silver which have been coming in from Nanking, on British steamers and under British aval guard. Tt is generally supposed that the Central Government has started to move some of its silver reserve to the interior, First Mass Marriage in Chungking Chungking has witnessed its first Nine couples were united in marriage by the Mayor, Me. ordinary appearance walked into a restaurant in Lincheng, south of \renghsion, and ordered food. While was being prepared, the customer asked a waiter to go out and buy some heroin for him, saying that he could not eat food until he had satisfied his.eraving for this drug. 'The waiter replied that he did not know where heroin could be obtained. The customer gave him a dollar, telling him to buy 50 cents' worth of the drug, and keep the change. The [prospect of a §0-cent tip enlightened the walter's mind, and he succeeded in finding and purchasing the heroin.
The customer did not eat the drug, but carried it at once to the police compound near the north gate had the dubious pleasure recently of witnessing a spectacle of considerable Interest. but one. that scarcely comported with the idea ordinarily held. of what coe ought to see in a missionary ce' pound on a Sunday moming. At about eight o'clock a regiment of soldiers, over 1,000] strong, with banners, bugles and Grums marched into the compound, and remained until after 2 pam.
'The reason for this ingress of unsabbath-like elements was. the desire of the general commanding the troops in this and two neighbouring provinces to present flags to certain companies which had distinguished themselves in recent' campaigns new town planning scheme, by whi, a very fine broad road will be rin through from the business centse of the city, known as the Pristan, right away through to. the extreme op. posite side in the Old Harbin centre Many houses in the Nahalovka als. trict of Harbin are to be demolished, Compensation being paid to. the owners by. the muntelpaity, ang thouses in some of the main sire, are to have their facades put back several feet so as to secure the wide, fof roadway decided on, Work ly being commenced at several poing at_onee, with the object of finishing large part of the magnificent ney thoroughfare by autumn.
Besides. this new road, another have held an indignation meeting at the Chamber of Commerce to protest Chang Pih-ko, in the crowded courtyard of the Municipal Government
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.