Exciting Trip from Tientsi jin to Sianfu: War, Floods and Railway Doubts Frou Ove Owx Sianfu, Aug, 19.
. Having just returned from a conference at the coast a few notes. jabour the journey may be of inter-lest. It looked at one time es if big war in North China was certain land there would be no way back lat all, and then suddenly Gen. Shih FYu-san's little effort collapsed and jail was open. It seems impossible to find out why he had counted on others or why they had failed him, but as war in China is largely a money making business and it is fashionable for military lenders to take "money from both side it {tortuous path. and that taels ways not. surprising that they. pursue a
land reasons are past finding out.
Leaving Tientsin on the night of JAugust 10, we soon ran into [violent thunderstorm which v.as not [very comforting When we knew that the country south was under water, Nothing was seen of Gen. [Shih'Yu-san's scattered forces but just north of Tsinan an armoured train passed, presumably. gaine keep an eye upon them. Taian bathed' in -hot sunshine but' mists were round the peaks of Taishan. The. Blue Express which is still a good train has recently een ne: leclerated and. reaches Hsuchowfu about "9 pin. "There the Ching FFravel Services was a real help and very. convenient for foreign Iravellers at busy station to be met by. their obliging agents to. look after baggage and obtain tickets.
The Tunghai Railway has two Jexcellent expresses now running, tone each way each day. It lewte Hisuchowga' at 8 am. and Loyang 1am, morning. It leaves Loyang S20" am. and reaches. Teuchowtu the same might about p.m. The train is new and clean and the food jon the diner is excellent. "Tt docs not make great speed owing to the leon dition of the track but it is the best train in 'North China at the moment. We were delayed by troop trains, having to stop every hour oF so to let one by. We were told that they were Liu' Chi—ihs 1st division going back from, the Hope front fo Klangai. The foods were out far land wide on both sides of the track boat the ground. was. drier round Kaifeng. "However, at Chengchow there was driving rain which con: tain whether the train would get borough we rested and as it rained again in torrents part of the day jwe expected more washouts, But the following morning was more hopeful and we started on the' now familiar route, The Lo River had gone down considerably and we Hfound on getting to the break that the train was going across. Past Kuanyintang the line goes trough high red hills and many' trand 'The cuttings and embankments seem far too steep but there had been Jess rain there and the train ran down to the railhead at, Lingpao without any' incident.
From Lingpao there. is a motor service. There were no first class buses going to Sianfu, but we got seats on an open truck first filled with bales of cloth and boxes and then several passengers added. Our heavy baggage went on the running board which already had two heavy wooden cases, The road is bad. The truck first of all _plun [through the Lingpao River and then mounts the great hill notorious for bandits and. comes down to {through another river and stick for Jo few minutes in the mud. The road has rats and hole one particularly evil sand: The passengers cling berately to anything they can get their hands to and after a few hours fare bruised and sore all over. Fortunately, the railway will goon jhe open along this stretch. The bridges are finished und the rails laid-as far as Wan Heianz Halen about 25 miles east of Tungk: fand the line ought to be open to ithe Shensi border by the end of One into Shensi the level and the cur anode better speed, Noone expected us to go through to Sianfu in the day Jand we passed no fewer than eight ears either or being repaired on the road. But our engine ran Jand though we struck one flooded by a. recent thunderstorm ind skidded through the mud. for half, an hour, we of past it and the ely fate fast. after:
was sad to see the familiar tragedy in ingtze valley under water, Honan deluged with rain and the {thin crops and dry soil here erying: lout for moisture. However, good rain felt yesterday and sone districts have had more than just round there, so there ought to be something of an autumn harvest.
Met only the line but their own over the Lo River and. we crawled pea
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