Swatow, Oct. 18.
The Japanese naval force which has been lying in the harbour with view of hastening in dispute local and" the mere took up anchors and vanished yesterday afternoon, with the exception of tone destroyer. The departure was preceded by an elaborate exch Yocal press says that this was "in order to establish more friendly, reations between the two countries," In reached, and presumably satisfactory to. the Japanese, and therefore not likely to be pleasing to the Chinese; but strict secrecy is being observed as to its nature, and even popular gossip seems to have nothing to pass on, It not often that Dame Rumour fs s0 completely baffled og she seems to be on this occasion, tain and no one regrets the trouble {taken in climbing it. Among those who have recently visited the city Jand the mountain' are Mr, Wood bridge Bingham of the University of California, who is an authority on tthe rise of the Tang Dynasty" and Miss. Mullikin and Miss Hotchkiss the artists from Peiping, who are said to be following their book on the sculptures of the Yunkang Caves by tone on the Sacred Mountains of China, which should supply a real These recent visitors have been much interested in the mosques of Sianfu which hitherto have mot attracted much attention. The big East Mosque has always been a show-place but very few people know that what ig called the big West Mosque is not only picturesque architectural but it is said to be the oldest the city, if not in China, having a tablet "which gives the' data [foundation og 705 A.D. This mosque not even mentioned in the Chi-Inese guidebook to the city.
Another place of interest is the mosque in the Haiao Pi Yuan which possesses a noble courtyard and with-Jin the main worship hall some fine decorative work. This consists most-paintings on wood, with lotus jand peony designs in rich and mel-Tow tones of red. and gold. They probably go back to "the Ming Dynasty when most of the places. in city were rebuilt. One visitor to the city not long ago remarked that there was no art in Sianfu but she probably knew no more about art ban about Sian. The West end of the big East Mosque is extremely beautiful with ite Arabian arch and [One colouring and these wall paintings in the Hsiao Pi Yuan are loquatly entitied to praise.
'During the last week or two little Mews has come from the West. The Red menace seems far away but the road to Lanchow is not open and the Communist armies are spread over a large part of Kansu. 'They' feannot be having an easy time and the winter is. coming on. come of one place where Moslem and (Tibetan soldiers' have indicted a severe defeat on them.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.