The army situation "in North Kiangsu "has been very much, improved. A few weeks since, when the troops of the 113th Division form= jerly of Manchuria and more recent of Sian, arrived here, they. at once Began making themselves disagree able in several ways, robbing small shops in and about the city. They {took food from the people without money and without price. They captured women and girls on the roads and criminally abused them, and the people were badly frightened, expecting the troops to mutiny and oot the whole city.
The orders were that this con-'Blomerate aggregation must be reor~ ganized and that several thousands fof the worst soldiers must be dropped. How to accomplish this without a mutiny was a serious problem.
Disarmament Process some means or "another, the _off-Jeers worked out this problem. From [various rumours, it seems certain that the soldiers received a few months of pay, which had been in arrears and [large numbers proceeded at once to buy civilian clothing. No adequate explanation of this move has been offered, as the discharged soldiers. were allowed to retain their uni-
No doubt it was also made plain to the soldiers that they were surrounded by more reliable divisions, jat_no great distance, which could rapidly close in, if necessary.
The real test came at the time of disarming those who. were to be discharged, "but this dificult task was accomplished without disturbance. [Since the reorganization was effected, ithe people have been free from the terror which had gripped them be-tore.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.