The lest day of the Chinese old year and the first day of the new] has been marked by a heavy fall of! snow, the best fall we have had for} two or three years. In its beautiful white garments the whole countryside is spotlessly clean the picture being marred only where human fect have trod.
For some litle time past it has been apparent that the populace were making preparations for the observance of New Year in a way and on a scale that they have not] Is een allowed to do since the death of Gen, Chow and the rise to power! of the Kuomintang. Last night in {ute a number of places people] hi ould be'scen putting up a complete new set of door scrolls in red. quite headless of the fact that political calls and maxims had been posted "nder compulsion so recently as the first of January. [twas interesting to note today that instead doctrine of hate quite a number of the new roll stress he need on the one hand of a righteous govern-rent, and. on the other of brother uncas and love to_others on the part of the people, -Fire-rackers, which have been under ban at this' time of the your, were Tet off to heart's content in all parts of the city and walk from one end of the city to the other reveals the fact that scareely one. shop is, open to dol day Dusiness. "The 'Post "Office on. the other hand is "carrying. on' usual, Te is interesting to hear from a friend' that the girls who are finish ing this year at the Girl's Normal School have organised a display' of Work and entertainment on. the oe: anion of their farewell. This was frowned upon by the local tangku as bolag quite out of place in view of the national crisis." The school, however, was not discouraged and replied. that the prohibition of the fnteriainment was. occasioned not the crisis through which the nation {s\passing but by the refusal" of the school authorities to lend their good piano to the friends of the tangku. "They: ave going on with their programme and at least one other' schoo! is following suit.
'Purther there are many who have wanted to sce. the familiar dragon fon the attests at New Year and 90 they have Deen contributing to. the funds for the purpose and not only have' the "representatives "of the party not felt called upon to refuse The sport, but are reported as having fndvertised the return of the sport
and ea, the fan. It would their families that they may appear Lewis that unless there is avery. stron hand "in control, another Will bags unnoticed except Government offals and] few other organisations Bs: perience in. this little. corner of the world would indicate that attempt to make the whole world anew calendar" of thirteen
From the very. begi onthe" wil be, dogmad. to failure ning.
(Of course we have had wireless reports of fighting between Japan ese. and Chinese in Shanghai and the bombarding of the. Intern Tonal settlement. We have been told also that Nanking "has _been taken and that the Government has removed itself to Loyang. The People however seem strangely' Lnmoved by this latest report. hey blame the Japanese but there have Hen no demonstrations and very Tod seems more busy about of serving New Year than being concerned' about important "national events down-river. There seems to tera resigned attitude and some say that if the country must, go to an Invader then let it go. They say ye have mo means of showing pa-triorism and even if we contribute to national funds to assist our army we shave no assurance that the money" would ever be remitted to the proper place," "There need," they Say, "for an enemy to come as the country, is being des-{raved by our. people.
On every hand there are signs that opiure is being planted. exten-ively again this year. [stood on the top of hill outside Tsingehen, lay a week ago and ons farmers were tending to their plum ¢rops," From the ator road for a distance of thirty miles along the Anshun road T' could see, the fields planted with the pops. Kuei chow has got lo the stage long since chen the People say that they must plant the opium or starve. No other Crop yields sucha vich harvest and fon ie the government. depends for 6 revenue, "The widening of the main streets till continues Fine. brick build-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.