Generally, conditions in the delta have been quiet as the country people are industrious and peaceful happy to be left alone for the tide of war swept past them as the Japanese advanced up river. Recently, the Japanese have being paying attention to the delta and armed trawlers and launches have been placed on patrol and have concentrated on the Chinese junks and sampans which carry the farm produce to the points of loading arranged by the ships which eventually transport the goods to Shanghai. Many of these junks have, been set on fire and no explanation' of this action is forthcoming, although it is suggested that it is being taken against the farmers and boatmen for trading with third party national The Japanese authorities v severely criticized for burning fishing fleets in South China and the extension of this form of activity to the Yangtze delta is likely to have serious consequences.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.