Hankow, Jan, 2, The Chinese Government has de-Jelded to increase the number of the members. of the National Defence Committe from 20 to 75 in order to Improve and deepen the col'aboration between the government and the [Chinese people.
This is 2 measure which indicates jinat the government is attributing growing Importance to the work of {the Commities which hitherto has facted merely as an advisory body but which In future will play a large and active part in promoting the economic, military and administrative unity the Chinese people.
Represented in the committee, more lover, are the Ave Yuans and all pro Vinelal and municipal bodies, Each Jot these representative bodies has the right to propose three candidates, one Jot whom is then selected by the gov~ fernment. Furthermore a commission {for Mongolian and Tibetan affairs and commission for Chinese living. abroad have each the right to propose nine candidates for the Committee of whom the government selects three, Tt is intended to Have only those candidates proposed for election to the [Committee who have already made name for themselves as public men of Jexperience and capability—Trans-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.