At Canton, the mystery of Swatow, bugbear of the South China Coast, cleared up once and for all. The reports have been emanating from interested parties in Canton, whom it suits, presumably, to see Swatow misrepresented in every possible way. These reports are handed on to certain gentleman, and_ transmitted by him to the proper qfiarters. at Swatow were really in a state of upheaval, it would obviously be nesessapy for forelgnens there to accept the fact and act accordingly with regard to the maintenance of their businesses. But no less than four leading British residents decried the false reports about Swatow which are doing much to set up agitation, and hinder trade.
The only real scare' in Swatow during the past few weeks was the result of a mistake. A couple of Chinese Air Force planes from Canton flew over the port on a reconnaissance flight, the Swatow authorities, mistook them for Japanese aeroplanes' and ordered all residents to purchase sandbags, and aid the defences of the town. Chinese merchants in the city,, with their tongues in their cheeks, immediately put the price of sand up 30 cents. have seen a large assemblage of Japanese warships cruising close by Swatow. People in Swatow got a scare when they saw a squadron of aeroplanes hovering over the. city. The squadron was from the Muiyuan aerodrome, however. Scouting over the port goes on daily.
The plan for, the defence of the Your southern provinces provides that Fukien is to draw support from Kiangsi if her troops are hard pressed; Kwangtung from Kwangsi if she needs reinforcement and so on. Re-
willie in Canton to-morrow for a Benemntatires of the four provinces defence conference.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.