Kaifeng, Nov. 3.
The flotilla of aeroplanes of which I made mention in my last etter have arrived *here and are] seen and heard every day as they] tryout the atmosphere of our local skies. It is said that they are] [here on a very special mission—no less important than that of linking} up' with the—bandit-suppression troops working in the south and] west of the province.
Casually, one might say that] they could have no better occupation the present time than that of wiping out of existence the great, bands of these bandits that now] Foam the country.
Travellers just in from the Nanyang District say that it is report ed on all sides in that county that bands numbering up to 20,000 have' only recently swooped down out of the hill country and, after distress sing the lowlands, are now on rheic return journey to the hills again.
Generally speaking, Honan _is very quiet at the present time, but those who have the welfare of the] People at heart cannot avoid the spectre of what the winter must bring forth. So much of the province has suffered from the floods of the past summer, and such light autumn harvests have been gather: ed in, that all foodstuffs are now ing, and these high prices will undoubtedly increase as the winter comes on and deepens. 'Local wheat of the autumn sowing looks 2 it will not be harvested till next' May. And what may not} happen before then?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.