The military authorities in Kweis chow have made ample arrangements to deal with the present situation for several divisions of Central Government troops hold important points at and near the southern border ineluding Tuyun and Takshan which the Kwangsi troops hed vacated, while troops are also available to deal with the robber bands infesting so many tot the districts. Tt is widely reported that some of these bands otusist largely. of disbanded or deserting men of the old 25th (Kweichow) army. And considerable numbers of the former 25th men are in Kwangsi, planning to come with the Kwangst troops if and when they invade Kwel-chow, hoping of course that they may yet recover their former position, There are rumours that the com munists under Chu Ho and Hsiao, now in Sikang are once more on the border of Yunnan in the hope at breaking through Into that province and perhaps Kweichow.
It Is a great burden on the people of Kweichow to "entertain" the large numbers of troops who quarter them= selves on them, but under the circumstances it is presumably unavoldable. On the whole, the genuine Central Government troops are well behaved and considerate of the people but some divisions recruited from robber bands who surrender can be very brutal and there seldom any. redress, The people are rejoicing that the prolonged drought has been broken at last by heavy rains. Since then sun and rain have alternated and there seems every prospect of a good harvest, Probably something is being plane ned at any rate for opium suppression in Kweichow but so far opium dens are to be found everywhere young men are still picking mp the habit and the drug is openly for sale. Only few days ago a lot of opium was spread on the main street, opposite to where I am at present staying, drying in the sun and I saw two or three men smoking it on the market place. T am told that the taxes on opium lamps and opium dens are now boeing increased, so perhaps the idea is to "choke" the use of the drug in that way.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.