Though there have been no derailments during the past week, there are rumours of heavy fighting having occurred between regular Japanese troops and large bandit gangs, in which it is reported losses have been heavy on both sides. No particulars of this. fighting is at the present moment obtainable, but a large number of Chinese carts have been engaged to carry supplies eastwards and there have been many motor trucks busily carrying troops from Harbin lately, these two facts leading to the ' supposition that the rumours of heavy fighting have some truth in them. Though the south Hine is very quiet, the night service of passenger trains has not been resumed and thus the day trains are Packed with people and often it is Gifeult to secure berths, these hav-Ing to be booked well in advance. The "Siberian express is running without "a hitch, trains arriving to the minute, notwithstanding the fact that heavy snowstorms are being experienced in Siberia and even in Western Manchu
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.