The German attempt to absorb Czechoslovakia does not seem to be proceeding as smoothly as the propaganda being issued from Berlin would have the world believe. The Czechs have always been noted for the independence of their attitude and, though they had to capitulate to force majeure during the recent German coup, nothing has occurred to change their natural hostility to foreign rule. The strict measures of suppression which have been undertaken by the Germans, the shackles imposed on liberty of speech and even thought, have done nothing but foster the resentment of the inhabitants of Bohemia and Moravia And the appointment of Sudetens to most of he positions of control can hardly be said to argue tact in the new administration. It would appear that now the Czech majority have pre-isoly the same grievances, but intensified, as sudeten minority under the Czech republic, which grievances were taken as the excuse for the German annexation. The events in Czechoslovakia are being closely watched by he other countries in southeastern Europe who may consider that they have reason to fear similar moves by the Reich. It therefore seems to be poor policy on the part of Berlin to ex-excise repression and call it justice. Are the other countries in the path of Germany's ambition to expect the same treatment If so, they should need no other argument to encour them to resistance.
It would also app is weakening Reich. On paper choslovakia has meant an increase lation, territory, industries, and resources, In fact, the advantages hardly seem weigh the disadvantages. Of what good is sed population if most of the increase Of what benefit are great resources if the development of them must be left to people who are reluctant to work them so long as the development is to their own national disadvantage? Further expansion, should it be attempted, would probably result in the multiplication of these and similar questions. What might seem on the surface to be greater strength y turn out in reality to be a source of weak-
Historic Amoy Amoy, which has been projected into the international diplomatic limelight by the events at Kulangsu occupied last week by Japanese naval forces, is historically one of the most interesting cities in China. Kulangsu, where the International Settlement of Amoy is situated, is generally mentioned as the island but the city of Amoy is also on an island at the mouth of the Pei Chi, or Dragon River, and lu story has involved the ambitions and struggles of buccaneers and adventurers, and the political and military objective of many others including the Manchus, the Long-Hair Rebels, the Dutch and the Japanese. After they were driven from Ningpo by the Chinese, the Portuguese settled there in 1544, and a century later Kox the Chinese patriot-pirate and defender of the Mings, made it his base. According to the Rev. Philip Wilson Pitcher's book "In And About Amoy," Koxinga even changed the name of the main island to a titi meaning "the island that remembers the Ming Koxinga actually established his headquarters on the island of Kulangsu, opposite Amoy and collected an army of 8,000 war junks, 240,000 fighting men and 8,000 "ironsides," and as he possessed hegemony over the pirates ravaging the coast he claimed a force of 800,000 men. It is related:
In training his men, he used a stone lion weighing over 600 Ib. to te: length of his idlers. Those who were to lift this stone and walk off with it were selected for his own bodyguard named the 'Tiger Guard.' They were iron masks and iron aprons; they carried bows and arrows painted in red and green stripes, matching with long-handled swords for killing hor and they were tioned in the van that they might maim the horses' legs. They were his most reliable troops and were called "Ironsides.
When he died, the Manchus gained control and lata Amoy was included in the treaty ports opened to foreign trade with an international settlement at Kulangsu, which means, literally, Drum Wave Island. One historical legend claims that it was Amoy which produced the tea shipment conveyed to Boston and the cause of the famous "Boston tea party." Kulangsu, a mile-and-a-half square, with a normal population of 250 foreigners and 40,000 Chinese, is administered by an' international municipal council of eight. Captain G. R. Bass, M.C, is Secretary and Chief of Police and the Police force is about 140 strong.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.