Within a very few hours after the bombing the government authorities were arranging consolation payments to the injured and to the relatives of the deceased—not large amounts, but surely appreciated. Most of the motor roads of his region are now largely torn up, and people are assured that the remaining ones will be destroyed. The Chinese are advising against displaying the national flag of any third country, as they feel that the planes will make such insignia a target, as seems to have been the case at Pingkiang, Hunan, not long ago, resulting in the death of a missionary. When the air-raid alarms sound, the hills about this city become animated indeed, people afoot and in sedan chairs preferring to take their chances on the hillsides till the all clear signal is given. Many temporary and permanent residents have moved to country regions, but this city is still far more populous than in normal times. The price of rice and other necessities is very high.
Some score or so of Norman-like towers about Shaoyang, built to assist in resisting the Communists, were suddenly ordered demolished a few days ago, and in a very few days they quite disappeared, It was feared that they were rather too useful as guide-posts for the bombing planes, though their erection must have been rather costly.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.