Two excuses are given for the failure of the Hupeh troops to gain their objective within the expected time. One is that motives of hu-inanity compelled Gen. Keo to refrain from using his large guns to shell the city. The other is, that the Honan troops have been using civilians dressed in soldiers' uniforms as their shields in the front line, so that the Hupeh troops could" not "fire their rifles. The latter statement, it may be observed, is rather spai ed by the touch about the uniforms; for obviously, if civilians are to be used as shields by an army, the essential factor in such a manauvre foo must be to make it perfectly clear that they are civilians and not soldiers. One is, however, glad to hear of any humane feelings on the part of the Hupeh troops towards the civilian population; for their treatment of the population of the province which they are defending has been one of the most revolt ing features of the past week's operations. At every station on the Hine, from Hankow northwards along. the railway, local and peasants have been forced into the service of the army. Hundreds of poor have been dragged from james and farms and compel-Jed to carry burdens and do other horse labour for the army. They are taken long distances from their homes, ill fed and badly used, and any attempt to escape is met' with brutal treatment. No doubt this impressment of the local population is a necessary element in the advance of any army. But. there are humane methods of doing it, and this does not seem to have occurred to the officers of the Hupeh armies.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.