Kiwantung government officials beeve that this is a most deplorable state of affairs. disturbing the smooth flow of commodities into the country and at the same time inter. fering with the progress of the five~ year industrial" development plan, Which is now in its second year.
The South Manchuria Railway chart office, some time ago urged the owners of these goods to remove them from the warehouses through advertisements in the newspapers, but practically nothing resulted from this. The Government is. therefore prepared to take drastic action Unless these commodities are removed from the godowns within a reasonable period of time. tinder from ruined homes provided }fuel for the flames and soon roaring Infernos were in action and long tongue-like sheets of flame reached out to other. buildings which were! soon a seething mass of flame, With commendable promptness the city fire brigade were soon upon the' scene and streams of water were poured on the burning buildings in desperate attempt to bring the are! under control and prevent it from! spreading to other buildings. It was Rot until late in the afternoon, howe jover, that the fires were finally checked and by that time many of the larger stores and uncounted smal Jer structures were a total wreck. 'Some put the number of ruined buildings at 600 and the killed and wounded at over 300, but a foreign' witness who inspected the ruins put! the number at a very much smaller} gute.
Red Cross workers were busy] everywhere giving first aid to the in-jureled in the devastated area, while Stretcher bearers were busy carrying] the wounded to the hospital for treatment and doing all they coild to relieve the suffering that had come so sudden and so unexpectantly upon the innocent people, The tragedy has sent a pang of, fear into the hearts of the people. Hundreds of panic stricken people fare crowing the Isunches and steamships in an effort to get away from what they believe is impending doom, while thousands of others are packing up their things and preparing Jeave as soon as means of transport-_ ation can be secured.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.