Tachienlu, Sept, 28, Tachientu is very conscious tonight of a deep senso of loss and loneliness. Tice men of outstanding personality left the city this morning: one for Paris; one for a destination unknown; and one for Shanghai.
Pore Pasteur has received on appointment on the home board so lett the frontier of his native and beloved France, Ho loft Paris sometime in 192%, travelled through An-ham to Yunnan, crossed the Yangtze at Huelll, came up the Chienchang Valley and arrived on the border the same gear. For nine years Pere Pasted. has ministered" slong the frontier' and there are few names to-day better known than that away. and brought his Hunan army here. He saw the strategic importance of Tachienlu in any long eamalan against the Reds and determined on this city as his base. Time has Justified this wise and careful choice.
The Reds under Chu Teh and Mao Dzestung crossed the bridge, Gen, Li with his army continued up the river and occupied Tachienlu. The Commusists on different occa-slons came very close to the city and only a few months ego Hsiao For some considerable time we had anticipated Pere Pastour's going but hoped against. hope that might, be allowed "to..remain thowfleld, There was some cor~ respondence in the hope that the home board might make some other appointment and leave this fine young: fellow on the border, but the Best laid schemes failed and as a community we have lost a choice young man.
'On the day after nis arrival with Pare Valour, he called to sco us and Lean remember, though he had very ttle to say, the deep' impression he created, 'We watched him grow in Influence and usefulness. We took note of the different "journeys he made.' Wo saw and appreciated his appoliitment to the important chase fof the' Twchiéniu cathedral and saw hi take over the large Kanghua school for boys and successfully steer {it through some difeult years. Wo saw the local community gradually appreciate his worth. Somehow we came to Tean on this young fellow and if Tachienlu. was to be attacked by Communists some of us concluded that the cathedral would be a nice place: to take refuge.
'He had enormous physical strength and a: magnificent physique. "Ho was popular preacher and a very enthuslastle worker on behalf of the poor. very Sunday morning, after the cathedral' service, a huge cauldron of corn meal and potatoes was prepared and those of his flock who ame from a distance were invited to cat before they returned home. A great favourite with the common people, he will be groatly missed. Pore Pasteur is a member of the Parle Foreign Missionary Society and we look upon his appointment to the home slait og some recognition of his worth and an, appreciation of the ood work he has done, Gen, 11, Gallant Tachlenta Defender Keh and Ho Lung were dangerously near, but the old general sat tight, prepared ar all times to defend.
"When saying good-bye to the larg? concourse of people outside the East Gate the general's words were few: '"T protected you from Communism: thank the people of Sikang for their help and friendliness; if at any time you need my help again, T will bbe only too pleased to come back:
"The Central Government troops under Gen, Li have made an impression which the Tibetans are not Ikely to forget. Clean, strong. well trained and disciplined, the Tibetans earned to respect them and through them they came to Nanking's "policies. Stang is con-vineed that Nanking desires her welfare and Gen. Li's residence of more than one year on the border has emphasized this. "We trust the Good work instituted by this man will be carried on by his successor ud that a strong administration will maintain present peaceful relations.
Military Leader Departs Caravans on the Move Gen, Li lett Tachienlu this morn-Ing fof some destination unknown. Crowds have witnessed the coming and going of great men here, but fow created more general interest and sympathy than Gen, Li. it was known for some time that the general hig task on. the frontier and that the Generalissimo had re-onlied him, but many hoped that this great and good man might be allowed to remain and continue his work as Pacification Commissioner the Tibetan frontier.
'For a month or 6o his army has been moving in the direction of Yachow and only' 1,000 men remain in Tochlenlu. These would have gone with the general, but the construc~ Yon of Chungshan Park, in memory of troops he Jost on the border, is of quite finished. "This park is! in the northern section of the town and a little touch of Shanghai on the order, There is an artistic pavilion the upper end with neat, trim, paths leading in different directions.
"Two memoria tablets are being erected to the memory of those Hu: man soldiers who lo buried on the frontier, It is most unfortunate that Gen, Li hind' to leave before work was finished.
The morning the general toft, many a tear was shed. The evening before, us a very friendly gesture, he sent vx an autographed photograph of himself in uniform. We very much appreciate this as we never actually met the general, having only Seen him from a distance. We ed intended going out to say good-bye, Dut og the old general ts such an early bird, we were doubtful if we night catch him. Thousands of people flocked, "however, to. the Eait Gate, including the public schools and public bodies, to bid farewell to the man whom they declare saved Ta-chien lu from the Communists, the Reds hud occupied Tachienlu it would have been @ stronghold exceedingly dimeult to retake. hinterland Strategist Gen, Li showed undoubted military yenlus, when, after following the Communists from. Kiangsi, through Hunan, Kueichow and Szechuen, he left them at Luting Bridge, 40 miles Already trade, broken into for more than a year, is picking up and hundreds of "Tibetans arrive from 18. The road into China assuming its normal condition and caravans leave in. that direction Locally things are quiet and the money market is easy. New rupees ure minted ox the Tibetans have not token kindly to Bank of China notes. With rupees they know where they are, Gen, Li had thousands minted that his. troops might use them Before leaving, Gon. Li issued a statement of the work carried out by his administration since his arrival on. the border in Juno 1995. This "Included road constrvetion. dull ding of an alrfeld and keeping open of communteations, enabling the populace to secure food.,, He address-the inhabitants as "My beloved relatives of Sikang" and strongly elvised them to carry out what he began. He tried to make the people feel that they have some part in the administration, Another Missionary Leaves Mr, John Oss, a member of the Seventh Day Adventist mission from Shanghai also left us. Few men have travelled og extensively In China 25 John Oss, and few men have a more Intelligent grasp of the Chinese Tanguage. He came to China in 1919 ard spent five years In Mukden. The capitals of China are as familiar to him a3 are the Dakotas—Lanchow, Changsha amd Peiping became his natural "stamping ground."
Aller some years in ordinary mission wok, he and his wife were appointed "Solicitors;" that is, not with any legal stains, but he was chiefly concerned with advising people what to do with ther surplus each and brass.
Mr. Oss keeps a record. of his esses and ihey make most Interest Ing leading. Soliciting is now bE: mission in China and he is edmirably adapted for this work Like a tractor-salesman, nothing but a trac-for will deter him from approaching the governor, president or general
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.