Various foreigners travelling in the interior have said that all. through Shanlung, many of the one time guerillas are turning into bandits and are harassing the honest and hardworking country-folk who are getting tired of the unsettled conditions and have even expressed their preference for Japanese law and order. At Ponglal in North East Shantung and tone or two other districts, communist tle influences, evolved as' one direful result of the Japanese invasion. of this province, are at work. Japanese troops are now quartered at all important towns and along the railways but are not found far from the lines of communication.
The price of grain in the interior} increasing considerably, especially where railway communication—is available, as the service is now sufficiently normal to accept freight.
Helped by the destructive efforts of the bandits and the guerilla-cum-bandits against whom " the regular guerrilla units have to fight besides the paid mercenaries (bandits and irregulars) of the Japanese, _the one-time much thought of gue-villas of Shantung and of whom much was expected, are fighting a losing Right and this province seems to be doomed to complete Japanese domination, The Japanese hold all lines of communication and control the coast and the people have had enough of war and disorder and the pit to resist "appears to be waning]
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.