We were interested to see a picturesque handbill neatly lithographed in colours which was dis: tributed in some of the occupied' areas at the end of August announcing the fall of Hankow. Newspapers of a later date indicate that the report was somewhat premature, also the accompanying announcement of the complete defeat of the 'Kuomintang army' and the destruction of 'Chiang's government.' A somewhat similar disaster was reported at the time that Hsuchow fell when widely published statements asserted that 570,000 Chinese troops had surrendered. The exactness of the figures was not more remarkable than their colossal proportions.
From an agricultural point of view the season has been somewhat unusual, but on the whole satisfactory. Heavy rains fell early in the summer, and there lis been little rain of consequence since the middle of July, but cereals are cheap and plentiful as much of the ground formerly devoted to cotton has been planted over in wheat or corn.
Now, good showers are falling and the farmers will be able to put in their wheat.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.