We recently) completed a four months period of help to some 200-250 refugees from flooded villages mainly in the county of Pohsing. Something like seven classes were held daily, with kindergarten work for the younger children. The Foster Hospital staff gave much assistance in health supervision and vaccinations. There were a few cases of smallpox, but fortunately contagion did not spread.
These sturdy Shantung peasants went through the cold winter months without a fire of any kind even in the main assembly hall and now they have gone back to what is left of their villages, but with practically no hope of the break in the Yellow River being repaired.
The outlook in the affected area is extrem&ly serious indeed, the flow of water in the new channel being greater than in the old river What will happen when the heavy summer rains come pleasant to contemplate.
There have been some changes in this small community recently. Mrs.
Flowers with two children and Mi A. M. Smurthwaite have left for furlough, while Miss E. M. Johnson. a new recruit from England. has arrived in Chowtsun, after a course of study at the Peiping Language School. Nurse Wheal has just returned from: furlough, and her colleague, Nurse Logan, will be leaving in July for the same purpose.
In the political sphere there is little to report. Guerilla warfare followed by reprisals more or less sums up the situation.
A day or two ago a very welcome though slight rain fell making the prospects for the wheat harvest a little more promising. The autumn crops have been sown and are coming up ricely. There were very few big winds in March this year. but April and May more than made up. for this lack. The countryside seems full of beggars.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.