A' business man who has recently: retürned from ihe north gives his impressions of conditions there. He motored to Peiping several times and visited the scenes of the principal blades of interest which were involved. in the start of the trouble between the Chinese and Japanese.
The Japanese appear to be here ta stay; and they are already commencing the development of the country. I have motored. to Peiping. several times recently and the: country appears to be as peaceful and prosperous as it ever was. They are building roadways and connecting railway lines, etc. I have been to the various. scenes of the start of the trouble, sud as the Marco Polo Bridge, Wangpingshien, the Western Hills, Tungchow, ete., and.have talked with the natives: and heard their stories: strangely enough all the stories of oppression, looting, etc, are against thei own people. You occasionally get'stopped by a Japanese sentinel, but after a brief questioning (mostly carried on by signs) or the production, of one's consular permit you are allowed to pass on.
One cannot but be impressed by the definite and practical manner in whith they are taking control and I can visualize a period of industrial prosperity for North China. The labouring classes should be in for a happy time as it looks as though all sori of factories for the development of raw materials will spring up and the demand for raw commodities be greater than ever. Already a power plant very many times greater than all other plants here put togeier has been installed and they must have very extensive development operations in view if they plan on needing so much power.
They have taken over a few of the loca} Banks and I should think will very shortly inaugurate some new form of Government in the North.
With the industrialization of the Paris, Jan. 20.
Gold reserves totalling' 58,933,000,- 000 francs were shown in the returns issued to-day by the Bank of France for the week ended January 12, showing no change as compared with the week ended January 5.
The total note circulation was given as 92557000000 francs, representing a decrease of 917,000,000 francs compared with last week—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.