Front Oun Own Comnsroroart Peiping Dec. 9.
nomy Is an active and she Idea that the desire for aul; movement in Nort China is an Huston shared only by the Japanese <it Is doubtful whether even they themselves really believe in it. Among the educated classes, as among the numerous officials who are. likely te lose their jobs by any suet: change, and by the not inconsiderable numbers of Southerners who reside in the North as private citizens the oppesllon to autonomy of any kind is very] strong. "On the other hand, it must be said that among the great, mass Of the population, Lo, the merchants, shop-Keepers, peasantry, and labour Ingeclasses, there is very little feeling, one way of the other, Except that it might just possibly lead to. Aghting of some. kind or other, with dis~ astrous consequences to themselves! personally, they regard the whole Question with entire indifference. They harbour no. special attachment for the Government In. Nanking, whick, according to popular opinion, has done little or nothing for 'North China during its term of power, Still ess liking, however, is felt by them for the Japanese who, apart from the fact. that they are. foreigners, have a wonderful facility for rubbing] Deoples' backs the wrong way and thus making themselves thoroughly
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.