The Supreme Council at, Mukden, which include all: the senior, Ma churian offlelals, have just: decided upon a number of necessary reforms! In North Manchuria, which undaub! cally when carried out will be welcomed by all. Chief among. thes "the appointment. of one. single milita: y officer, who will be respon: sible For the proper protection of, the whole of the CER. Tine, and swith one single Headquarters Staf. 'This will be following the system {in vogue along the railway during the old Russian regime, and should without a doubt. make' it a much easier task for the authorities to stamp out the Hunghutze ani bandit evil which still exists.
Hitherto there have been three Meadquarters Staff, one on the! Wastern, one on the Western and one n the Southern section of the C.ER. and in many instances owing to red-tape there has been lack of proper ce-operation and a good desi, of petty jealousy. There will be] row one Commander of the Railway Guards, and it will be his specific! duty to prevent any bandit raids on} railway and to stamp out brigandage and unrest in this zone, he being given a free hand to) accomplish this.
'The writer has' of late had cause to write about the activities of veying bands of both Russian and Chinese outlaws who are operating on the western: line betwoon Hailar and more especially, what may-be termed the' Hingha district. Small stations have been robbed, railwaymen maltreated, kill-
mil and carried away, before any coming, trains have been delayed for fear} that they too might be interfered with, It appears that leading' Moscow papers would have it tha: these outrages are being committed] by White detachments, but such is] not the case, though no doubt among these Russ outlaws are former White soldiers. These bands have however been organized by nen who know no authority except their own, and who are merely free Dooters, just the same as the lead: ers of the Chinese outlaws operating all over North Manchuri Campaign Against Communists Mukden has likewise decided, and quite rightly to stamp out com, munist propaganda and political ion. Here again their task] is not an easy one. Offenders are} no longer to be handed over to te civil authorities, and kept perhaps for months before any trial takes place, but in future will be subject to military courts and tried sum-There is quite a lot of and political agitation going on in Manchuria at the prerent time, and when one reflects this fact is not at all surprising. The territory is a vast one, and i:
but thinly populated," though Vich in most resources and full of possibilities and opportunities. As' regards agitators, they are not confined to one peculiar species, the contrary, they are variegated and motley. "Hence the difficulties the local authorities are confronted with, and they have to deal with provocators as well as demagoguer. A. 5,000-mile boundary line is> ne one to watch and more especially when there are a variety. of localities to watch as well, whick include Russians, Koreans, Mongols, and Chinese themselves.
So far one hears of few changes among the local officials, which might be expected now that Mukden is again looking after the welfare] of Tientsin and Peking running of the Pekin, Railway. The Mayor, Mr. Ho, head of the Harbin Municipal Council, however returning to Tieatsin as Yend of ore of the Revenue Offices und in taking with him several of} right-hand men, His place is) to be taken by a Mukden nominee, therefore should seeing that Russian and Chines municipal interests are so interlocked, and that so many' house-owners here are Russo Whether or not the Police Commissioner, General Pao, fs returning still a question; he has been away for over a month, and report hat it that he is anxious to get an important military appointment irside the Wall. The Civil Admi strafer, General Chang Ching-hue atill in Mubden but is expected back for the Mid-Autumn testi and when this is over other change! are possible. The Governor har fs likewise still in Mukden, but since the Tsitsihar-Ssupingkai Railway has been in running order he no longer passes through Harbin, preferring to travel by the former route. Rumours still have it he about to retire and that is place} is to be taken our Civil Admin. some I now that the Sino-Soviet Conference:
to start at Moscow on October 10. Tt hasbeen postponed so. many times that one can be sure nothing, but at any rate the Chinese delegates are not thinking of returning yet awhile, for a Ctinese courier has recently arrive! here to take them all their winter wearing apparel.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.