During January and February I travelled in six hsiens in central Shantung. The county of Chihchuan, containing the Hung Shan and other mines, seems to have been made a centre for Japanese propaganda and other work. The city has a school already opened in which Japanese is taught, as well as other subject As Ófar as your correspondent has been able to discover, no schools of any kind whatever are open in other districts. The Hung Shan mine, known as the Luta Kung Ssu is still unworkable, accounting f some 8,000 mine families being practically destitute. Relief work is therefore urgently needed The town of Poshan presents an even greater problem. Thousands there are in need owing to lack of business and the stoppage of mines, potteries and glass blowing works. Money was earned with relative case in normal times, and too often any surplus was gambled or drunk away. The people have therefore nothing in reserve.
The local Swastika Society has been supplying gruel through the winter to a good many of the needy, but unless work is begun, the outlook is very dark indeed. The Swastika Society ¢nrolls Chinese who can afford the?high entrance fees and a certain amount of personal protection is assumed to be gained by membership.
In this way a good sum of money is obtained by which to buy gruel, the members wearing their badges prominently displayed. A book could be written on labels and badges in North China to-d. Humour and pathos abound and only call for the pen of a.ready writer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.