During the past year one is conscious that that something is happening in old Szechuen, Reconstruction after twenty years of war-lordism. What Is being done and how? Let me record a few outstanding events.
During August and September of 1935 there was held at the foot of Omei a training school for leaders from captains up to field-marshals and educational leaders from the highest down to middle schoo! prin-pals, 3,000 in all, in two serier of three weeks duration each.
From 6 am, til 9 ab night with no rest periods the grind of lectures and drill continued. The ablest lecturers of the land contributed. The electrical presence of Gen. Chiang Kai-shek sent at least three young men among them back as: they told your correspondent, "Each of to go back to conduct just such 4 school as this in our neighbour hoods."
At the same time in each of the 'Afteen new prefectural cities similar schools were being held for all the teachers of primary schools. Everyone wag in uniform and a Tong run at the first streak of dawn began the ay; a month of lectures, with drill and' singing and then back to open school and carry on.
The pressure of the anti-opium campaign continues unabated. Most of the elder gentry who had expected smoke out their natural lives have broken off, rather than pay the increasingly heavy taxes on registered smokers, and bear the opprobrium foo, Spies are sent out all through our seven counties. Tale bearers get 10 per cent, of the fines inflicted. Every few days a bonfire of confi seated pipes and lamps and opium. may be seen in the public square of our city park.
The age-old paochiah system has been revived and revised. Men Young enough to drill, to run to Manage affairs with expedition and {o learn obedience have been put in charge, To make this organization Qilective two other three wede Schools for all the pao chang and epiity pao-chang in this county, have been held, (And so on throughout the tana), Each pao pays by a light levy every one of the hundred families contributes according to its financial standing,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.