The province of Kwangsi and specialty the city of Kweilin are intimately associated with two men: Marshal Li Tsung-jen and Gen, Pal Chung-hsi, who. are" themselves Kweilin men. Up to about twelve years ego Kwangsi had had about as urbutent an existence as any province China, Armies marched gnd counter-marched across its breadth, cities such as Kweilin, Lisochow and Wuchow wore being constantly besieged, ite piaing were. soaked with blood, Then Generals Li and Pai obtained control and a complete change came over the scene. The " province has enjoyed complete peace within its borders ever since and, leaving pollti= cal antagonisms aside, has undoubledly Become one of the most progress sive provinees of China, 'That is not to say that the people ste perfectly happy and contented. 'They' are not. On the contrary they are torn between two opposite feelings, On the one hand is their oyaity to their two great leaders of whom they are proud as Kwangsi men and whom they respect os men of absolute integrity amd high ideals. On the other, is their opposition to the harsh, one might almost say ruthless, manner in which the province is being dragooned into modern ways. sia poor province with few natural All this sft the more, as Kwang: resources and has" had to. carry through the whole system of reforms out of- Its own pocket. The heavy taxation, conscription, rood-building, @xpensive school system, all this presses very heavily on the comparatively: poor population. And for this reason there. is a very considerable body of opinion in the province that would undoubledly welcome its being Various examples, were quoted 10 me from recent history of how small country had stood up successfully to a larger one, by a mero show of determination. In such a war Nanking would find full support from Kwangsi whose. armies would be found Aghting in the front line, Indeed, General Pai said that the alle of personal animosity between firn and Generat Chiang Kal-shake was all nonsense, and that in case of war with Japsh he was perfectly ready to serve in any capacity under the Generalissimo, as he had done In the earlier days of the Revolutionary campaigns.
When I mildly suggested that from the standpoint of the Central Gov-jemment a war with Japan might not be quite such a simple affair it appeared to them at the safe distance of Kwangsi, T was accused, much to my surprise, of being a proagandist of Nanking. On my disclaiming the doubtful compliment. with some heat T was told that "os jan Englishman you approve of a Policy of surrender, because you are afraid of the effects of such a war on Brilish trade.
But we do not care about that."
Whether this attitude of the Kwangsi leaders is a sound one, is of course, a matter of opinion, but 12 least 1' pay. them the compliment of believing that they are perfectly Sincere in their views. Anyhow, one thing one must granted Kwangsi! itis now' completely free from Japanese influences, Enquiries confirmed the statement of the two generals that there are no Japanese in the province at the present time, whatever may have been the conditions in, that Fespect up to early last year. There were fewer Japanese goods to be seen in the shops in Kweilin than in any other city T have been in.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.