Hold Manceuvres; Garrison Reinforced By Sailors Hankow, Oct. 20.
The intention of the French Concession authorities to guard the Concession; and keep order within its boundaries in the event of emergency, was evidenced this morning, when a Spectacular rehearsal of the defence arrangements was held, The rehearsal lasted from 7 until 9.30 a.m., under the supervision of the defence commander, Capt. La Halles.
The French garrison, 400 strong. was reinforced by a landing party of 100 men drawn from the French ships Amiral Charrier and Francis Garnier.
It was also augmented by a volunteer corps composed of 73 civilians, including twelve women, who will serve as telephone operators, to ensure that the communications between the four defence posts into which the Concession is divided will be smoothly organized, Promptiy at 7 am., steel-helmeted landing parties and. khaki-clad volunteers were concentrated on the French Bund, where light infantry guns, trench mortars and midget tanks completed the picture. Later, the detachments. marched off to man the strongly constructed defence works, erected at strategic points along the Concession boundaries, strung with heavy barbed-wire barricades; Captain La Halle, at the conclusion of the operations, declared himself satisfied with the morning's exercises.
Despite these preparations, it must be emphasized, foreigners living in the French Concession, and in the special Administrative Districts, are leading a normal and calm existence, They are working hard, and playing hárd.—Retter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.