Between The Lines There Is one reader of the "North-China Daily News" who is highly satisfied with the delivery of his paper, He is a resident of Sutsien, in North Kiangsu, where a Japanese column is advancing from the north, another Japanese column is preparing to advance from the south, fand Chinese troops are filling the breach, but he stil gets his paper. Formerly, it was about a. 24-hours' distance between Shanghai and Sutsien, but now mail deliveries from Shanghai must go via Hongkong, Hankow, Chengchow and Hsuchowfu and anything between one month and two months constitutes the delivery Hime, The postal service is slow owing to this circuitous route but he writes 'A check-up shows that, all 31 issues of the "Northeching Dally News" for December have come to hand, though some of them were on re way about (we months. This is a remarke Able record It Ig s0 because it shows the indomitability of this journal and the enterprise of the Chinese Post Office which seems to be able to penetrate anywhere in spite of conditions. The fact that uring the dificult period reported by the correspondent not a single copy of the newspaper was missing indicates the reliability of the Post Office in face of unusual obstacles, But there also another factor which reflects on conditions of newspaper delivery in China and that is Sutsien is within Chinese-controlled territory where records show that newspaper publishers fare in a far better position to deliver to their Subscribers than in Japanese-controlled territory, This is a situation which needs remedying for there are quite a number of cities in Japanese occupation where Shanghai newspapers are un-fable to be delivered, Incidentally, the Sutsien correspondent's report reveals the persistency of Chinese mercantile enterprise for by utilizing the Grand Canal and the intricate system of creeks, vio Nantungchow, a trade route between Sutsien and Shanghai has, been established and kerosene shipments from Shanghai, taking 10 to 20 days in shipment have been s0 considerable that there has been a substantial reduction in the price of this commodity and the mail route may also be shortened, This is an encouraging indication of China's capacity for recovery.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.