'CEDING its people is China's most pressing economic problem.
On the solution to this problem future political developments may well hinge.
Already economic mal-adjustment has produced far-reaching social and political consequences. In the opinion of many observers, it was one of the prime factors which conditioned: the Central Government's decision to launch an attack on the Chinese Communists. Many see in it one of the major causes of the recent upsurge of political repression in China, pointing out that scarcity usually brings policemen, says Mr. Hugh Deane in ft the "Christian Science Monitor:"
The food problem began to grow serious about a year ago, Up till that time the price, of rice had been fairly stable, at least in comparison with the prices of manufactured goods which had been soaring ever since the fall of Canton and Hankow. Before the war a picul (183.38 Ibs.) of rice in Chungking cost about $9.50.
in the summer, In the winter of 190-40 i M a ar a considerable surplus in order to insure a fairly evem distribute te supply of rice rose as rapidly and dramatically as stocks fell in 1929, to $185. In December one saw rice queues in the streets of Chungking, lines of people holding baskets and bags standing sequently patiently along the curbs, Gendarmes little or no rice f sell; in fai kept them in line, are usually buyers themselves, Current reports received from of rice producers have rice Tar sal estimated that only nineteen pi 1 Chína show that the stabilization felt early in 1941 has not continued Thus the landlord class has an ex-In Szechuen the price is reported to cellent opportunity to hoard and have reached $250 a picul although profiteer; and if no actual scarcity in other districts the price remains exists, to create one on the market considerably less, Between The problem is politico! and May the price at Kweilin. by the fact that the Capital of Kwengsi rose from $30 powerfully represented per picul to $96, In Kwangtung, a mintang, China's ruling party. picul now costs $120. while in the Province it has gone as high as $200. mountainous regions of the same In crowded Chungking the price run seems likely to grow increasingly for a picul of rice has risen to as serious. Torn by four years of war. much as $400 to $500, beset with floods and drought. forced Rice Shortage Crux? io feed armies numbering millions. crippled and constesined by a primi-structure, Chin ied ce el fields ar tive" semi-feud, Government officials steadfastly maintained that rice was plentiful growing difeal They. sibuted the price rise, high cost pert, maldigtribu; food for Chinese problem is vat that of food pi factors," But some of Min. profiecring end "gerebelos which the Government planned tion steadily shrunie. esperar since the Sino-Japanese war. a factor which will intensify the strains. now tending the continent, his speech before the People's Political Council seemed to neutral obser-Japan's Rice Deficit vers to indicate that perhaps a shortage of rice was the root of the pro-Indo-China, Siam and Burma have blem, He proposed: a normal ani pu surplus of 200 mils lion piculs of rice, whereas Japan's 1. Adjustment of supply with de-deficit alone is now 180 mane 2. Promotion of consumption of cereal other than rice.
a Reduction of the brewing of rice 4. Increase in food production. sor rice "elds Chungking on Tuesday, the Executive 5. Construction of irrigation works.
Yuan relieved General Chen Yi, as well as for cities. Chairman of the Fukien Provincial
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.