The rumour that there is misunderstanding—between farmer-soldiers and other classes seems to have some foundation. The farmers have a feeling that too many new recruits for the army are being demanded from the rural districts.
The cities and the markets might take their share on the recruiting lists and thus divide the burdens.
Ca-operatives are playing a neces-Sary and effective part in the life of farmers and industries at the present time but the spirit of cooperation is not being developed among the members of the societies, rather the societies are organized and promoted by the Government or agencies outside of the societies.
All provinces of China, north, east, south and west seems to have gathered in Chengtu. What a mingling of dialects. The Chinese language and pure Mandarin may be suffering but in the life and work of the people the spirit of mutual helpfulness is manifest Many barriers are giving way or broken New de: and s are unitir life and effort of the race. of the west is responding to needs of the present National cri: other future troübles may still be in store for the British and French Concessions, any future retaliatory measures are, at least, not likely to take the form of these barriers again, as this particular form of restriction Nas hit the Japanese business interests as badly as any.
The removal of the barriers and of all the other restrictions, quite particularly those affecting the movement of cargo, is expected to lead to a marked improvement in the trade of this port, which during the past year has, in consequence of these same restrictions, suffered a disastrous decline. But, although for the moment normal conditions have been restored, and the foreign communities at Tientsin are breathing sighs of relief, and are joyfully celebrating the "end of the siege," more cautious observers are inclined to believe that the relief is likely to be only of a temporary nature, and that some radical change in' the status of the Concession is certain to take place sconer or later.
In recent weeks articles have been appearing in the local Chinese Papers, claiming that the existence of the foreign Concessions is a serious obstacle to the establishment of the "new order in East Asia," and that they ought therefore to be taken over by the north China administration.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.