Hangchow, Dec, 20.
There is a general improvement: in the economic and social conditions in the counties of the south west of Chekiang. The old dull subservient demeanour is fast pa In its place, an ardent jon hood is springing up everywhere.
This is particularly manifest amongst the younger of. cials. "I hear you foreigners call us Chinamen," said a budding ma darin, of the new type, in conver-jon over a cup of tea. "When have settled with you the unequal treaties, we shall compel you address us in the preper way' and say Chinese, Tumble down yamens, in the county towns, are being remodelled to meet up-to-date requirements. Attractive gateways are in course of construction. Public lavatories—ot a sort, is another innovation, In some towns a sanitation corps is at work, and streets are being swept. The owners of stray pigs on public thoroughfares are fined. Propaganda by slogan and popular arch word has quite taken on, Women are exhorted to unbind the feet and bob the hair.
Small electric plants for milling fare found in the most unexpected quarters, In the area traversed, there are signs of prosperity on every hand and it is amazing to see the number of new buildings going up. Merchants, however, are gloomy mood. "Taxation is strangling them, they say. But they carry on' and find" money to enlarge and refit their shops on foreign lines. City walls are being dismantled and huge gaps are already to be seen through which motor cars are to pass in the near future, The heart of the province is stirred with the anticipation of being linked up by railway. Lanche will be the terminus of the Siaoshan—Changshan line within a time, 80 it is officially stated, line is a navrew gauge and an amy fof workmen are busy turning the soil in the various sections. It is purely provincial undertaking. The Sinoshan work is being pushed with speed and an attempt. is being made to link up with Chuchi before the end of Spring. The railway will pass through he county of Nwu and continue its course to Kinhuafu. 'The Yungkang river will be bridged for the main line will' traverse Tangehe Lungyu, Chuchow, thence, the last Jap, to Changshan. Kinhuatw and will be connected by a or Frozen North does in a contury. It is difficult to mention prominent politician, a gracie ous royalty, a film star, a stage favourite—any celebrity in fa—without being instantly told by the Oldest Inhabitant whom Shanghai keeps on tap at a spot ces sible only to specially p: vileged folk, that he or she w: in Shanghai in such and such year, The gorgeous liners, which make their way with increasing difficulty up the Whangpoo, are constantly releasing for runabout on shore all kinds of passengers who in their own countries are given space in the newspapers without ever a word being said about advertisement rates. shan is a border town "A, doc to eight provinces." It con-neets with Yushan, in Kiangsi, by the famous highway now made into woter road. For centuries, this I outlet for the commodities of the south, and especially the renowned wares of Kiangsi—tinen, tobacco, pottery and tea, The "Gem" ity of Yushan prides itself in being "The lock and key of the two rivers"—-the Chientang and the Kuongsin, That fine English tra-voller, Robert Forlcne, walked this, ghidnd, early a contwy ago. What a change he would find today. Instead of the slow tedious sedan journey duration, about one inut—and These celebrities, to do them justice, are harmless folk. Shanghai always takes kindly to them. "It may inadvertently print a few lines about their impressions of China, their opinions of the Customs Clock, their yearning to hear the Municipal Orchestra, their difficulty in finding the Town Hall of their joy at being able to coa-vert Shanghai dollars into Taels. It does little more; there is no malice about Shanghai's treatment of its distinguished tors. If indeed they desire to bury themselves in one of those institutions for philosophical research in which Shanghai abounds, nothing is said. They can pursue their abstruse studies without a line of publicity. Now, when Shanghai is depressed, surely the thought of these numerous celebrities comes fitly to the mind. Should it not be possible to mobilize in ey country the celebrities who have' tasted Shanghai's worth and induce them to stand forth in the market place and testify to the virtues of this magical, mud metropolis?' Why, during the past year, there have been enough moulders of world-opinion on Shanghai's visiting list} to obtain for all of its residents the Nobel Prize the Dunmow.
Flitch or some other equally undeniable token of respectability Shanghai docs not ask to. be, condemned to wear the white flower of a blameless life but, as a City raised on mud, it does meekly suggest that it should be spared an overdose of that commodity.
In most of the towns and large ages of this section of the pr ince, crowds of Kinngse refugees, are to be found. They have had to flee for their lives, Some harrowing stories could be told of their sufferings and escape from the murderous Communis: bands. The poison of comm teaching doing its mischievous and on a wider scale than is gene ally acknowledged, In the early autumn, a well organized attempt made, by lawless gangs long, to link up with the comrades of Kiangsi, Fortunately, Government troops came W the resene and the rising was suppressed. But oven nov, villagers are in dread of raids and kidnapping. The chief topic of conversation amongst passengers on the crowded river boats seems to be confined to bri-gonds, looting, huraing, killing and Fansom mone New societies ars springing up. The Buddhists are cow organizing and strengthening their ranks, In some of the large temples and mon-asterias, an assembly hall has been prepared where motings are held to uphold thole rights. Generally speaking, this is a move against the intolerant interference of certain Tangpu leaders who seem determined to ride roughshod over ancient customs and religion of every description, Already some temples have been deauded of their idols and the premises turned into schools and offices. In maay places, the Tangpu, with its gogfel of revalue tion, isin bad repute, Amidst all the national, political and social changes, however, the Christ [Church continues to take root downward and bear fruit upward. For preaching the oracles of God, the door of opportunity is more widely opened than ever before, As of old, the common: people hear gladly,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.