It had been decided to evacuate the city, offering no resistance, so the government authorities had left that morning. This saved Wuting from the fate of neighbouring towns which bombed and despoiled in "punishment" for pluckily showing fight in defence of their homes and families. The only preparation for defence had been pathetically amateur, anyhow, such as the destruction of a small bridge on the newly-opened Lading motor road, ud the digging of a hole across another road. A tank could have crossed this with case.
Our arrival, unannounced, was the occasion for exuberant relief on the part of the mission and hospital staff. After weeks of strain with constant flights overhead of bomb-laden planes, they cheerfully yalinquished all responsibility to us. We were fortunate in getting telegrams out that night announcing to our friends that we had safely reached Wuting, for no further mes:
es went in or out for another month. The telegraph and post offices had been closed down, but the Christian postmaster found quarters with our workers, and such mail as at last found its way in, rame to him there, to our great satisfaction,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.