Under the leadership of a Japanese follower of Christ, who forsook family riches for the simple life of a preacher, Taitsang, a town 40 kilometres north-west of Shanghai, is gradually assuming the appearance of an agrarian utopia, the "Shanghai Nippo" said yesterday.
The preaching of Mr. Kinzo Wakao, 49-year-old brother of a wealthy member of the Japanese House of Peers, has been so effective, the Japanese daily said, that thieving has disappeared from the community of 6,000 Chinese.
Young Chinese are playing a major part in creating an autonomous and self-sufficient community according to Christian principles under the- guidance of Mr. Wakao, according to the Nippo."
Mrs. Wakao, who accompanied her husband with their one-year-old child, is also active in community work. They have also established a "Soldiers Home," where Japanese soldiers stationed in the area can get a bath and a haircut and also read newspapers and magazines from home. Other recreation facilities are also provided.
A Japanese school for Chinese is also being operated, while Chinese ouths are encouraged to mingle with Japanese soldiers for a mutual change of conversation 1 Chinese and Japanese.
Mr. Wakao was Japan for the relief w d out among impoverished farmers Yamanashi prefecture where he was born. He arrived at Taitsang on September 25 to engage in missionary work.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.