(Delayed in Transit)
Sian, She, Aug. 8.
On Friday last, August 5, we had he worst air raid up to date. About 30 Japanese planes came over and dropped over 100 bombs, many of them weighing more than 200 Ib: Fortunately the air field again was heir sole objective and this was systematically covered, a stream of bombs falling along a line in the centre and others along the sides. As few people are living nowadays in that area to the west of the city he damage done seems to have been slight. We do not know what was the reason for the attack, whether to show that in spite of Manchoukuo complications the Japanese forces in China are still vigorous or whether Russian -planes were supposed to be coming this way.
Recent reports, mostly emanating from Tokyo, declare Shensi to be the centre of Red influence in China. That is certainly not true of this city or of most of the province which is very decidedly under Central Government control. At Yenan, about 250 miles to the north of Sian, the Communist party of China have their headquarters and are conducting some interesting social and educational experiments. created both a food and housing problem, the latter of which is solved by the hollowing out of caves where both the university and the medical wnit find their habitation. Some interesting people are there; a Chinese Christian doctor who has been with the Chinese Communist army from ihe beginning of their wanderings; an American whose English name has not been divulged, a former Chinese cinema star; a well known literary man end the son of a famous Singapore millionaire are all living in the roughest way.
All in the community address each other as "Tungchih" (Comrade) with a good deal of frankness of exhort tation and as it is necessary to appeal rather than command there are sometimes problems of discipline, for example in removing a hospital The very young recruits known as "hsiao-kuei" (little devils) are a picturesque and interesting class.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.