Uf, as the common saying Is, imitation Is the sincerest form of flattery, our "good "neighbour, Manchoukuo, must be feeling highly flattered by the establishment here of the Pel-ping and Tientsin Opium Bureau, a very creditable imitation of its own Opium Monopoly Bureau. The opium-smokers of Peiping, too, have reason feel pleased, seeing that the tax per ounce of opium purchased is only 20 cents, whereas in the enlightened neighbouring province of Chahar the tax is 40 cents. Then again, there Is the sensible regulation dispensing elderly persons of sixty or over from having to take out a licence at all, One supposes that a benevolent gov: ernment feels that old people have so few pleasures left in life, that this Jast remaining one ought hot to ide too hard for. them, The announcement that the surplus revenue from the working of the Bureau will be applied to establishing. elmies for treating opium addicts will cexelte one's admiration on first reading. On further reflection, however, one is left wondering. "It sounds rather ike the famous exercise In logic of the old Greek sophists: "The {gta alt Cretans are elmies are opened, there will be fewer opium-smokers; if there are fewer opium-smokers, there. will be no surplus revenue; if'there Is no surplus revenue, there will be' no clinics; if there are no clinics,...and forth ad infinitum. No doubt' the Brain Trust in Nanking has worked this all out satisfactorily, Who Invaded Shansi?
The Communist invasion of Shansi 4s fast becoming one of the typical modern news mysteries, Foreigners arriving from 'Taiyuanfu are quite surprised at all the excitement about it, According to their account. the province Is quiet and everything 'They do, however, admit a certain' nervousness a8 regards. the currency: the notes of the Central Bank have completely disappeared from circulation, while the' Shans! notes are steadily falling in value. That, of course, is a pretty good Indication. On the other "hand, we Foccive; almost daily, official messages from Taiyuanfu announcing great victories of the Goverment. troops. Yet Japanese military circles deny. any knowledge of such victories. and continue to regard the Shansi situa tion as quite serious, It is dimeule to know, whom to believe,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.