The Official Ceremony at Tsinanfu The official ceremony connected with the completion of the Yellow River diverting project took place yesterday at Tsinanfu, the occasion being the formal trans-for of the completed dyke to the Chinese authorities. The vicinity of the Yellow River had been despoiled in 1921 by the rampages of the great stream which gradually rose higher and higher, and finally swept through the dykes and—to top it all—with amad rush washed away all the futile earthworks erected for protection, This has at last been reclaimed as it is hoped, for ever. A rock and_ pile-driven breastwork has forced the stream to peace and tranquillity.
Among those responsible for this great work are Hsiung Ping-chi, Civil Governor of Shantung, Mr. Paul Page Witham, president of the Aisia Development Company and Mr. L., iF, Patstone, engineer-in-charge. The modern spirit displayed by the governor and the foresight and mechanical ingenuity of president and engineer have wrought a change for which half a million people are grateful for their homes and bread and butter.
Mr. Patstone, a' major in the American army during the war, ved for many years as City Engineer for Manila, after which he came to Shanghai to enter business. But he was called to this major work and he left his business to carry it through.
At the ceremonies yesterday, he said in part:—In joining with you in this celebration of the completion of the Yellow River diversion and the restoration of over a quarter of a million people to their homes, it makes me feel joyful and also contented to have worked with you and to have been one of the cogs in the wheel of success.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.