| Show China Digs in At New Capital Japs Will Have Trouble Driving Defenders From Refuge pre Prepared gl by National g Geographic Society gety Washington t D. D C C. w Service Since the beginning of ot the Sino Slab Japanese conflict population population population pop pop- has grown rapidly especially especial especial- ly since it was recently declared the capital of the war-torn war lic lie Thousands of seeking safety-seeking citizens cit have sought protection within its walls This inland deep-inland refuge of the Chinese government is 1500 miles mlles up the Yangtze from the coast It ItIs Itis Itis is sheltered in the giant glan bowl of Szechwan province square miles mUes of isolation in the middle of west central China Mountain barriers hem the province province provo ince in n so steeply that the opium poppy Is a leading cash crop only lightweight exports such as opium can be sent to the outside world at a. a profit exceeding freight charges Drug firms have headquarters in to buy up the highly taxed opium and other medical products Including dried rhubarb A city of more than a half million perches like an eagles eagle's nest on a ledge of a cliff cUff A stone stonewall stonewall stonewall wall feet high and five ve miles around shuts it in with only opy 8 of ot its 17 fortified gates open to traffic On three sides the gray cliff cliff-city's foundations foun foun- drop away another feet teet to the river curling around its base Stone staircases 20 feet teet wide not streets slant steeply down from the rampart gates to the landings Yangtze Gorges Gorres Only Gateway So important are waterways in rugged Szechwan that has has become an Important trade metropolis metropolis me me- because it is situated at the Junction of the Yangtze river and the Uie river which rushes down from the north to meet Chi Chi- nas na's main artery practically at a aright aright aright right angle serves asa as asa asa a center for tor the network of important important important tant Yangtze tributaries which gives Szechwan province its name which translated means Four Rivers The city has some of the modern qualities of 01 Shanghai at the rivers river's mouth and its shops display the tapestries and Jewelry of Tibetan mountain regions where the river has its origin Missions make headquarters for work in Chinas China's rugged west and consulates here handle the wholesale trade of ofa a deep hinterland The only way into from eastern China is the Yangtze A new I air service from has I been interrupted by the war There is no railroad A bus service over overa I a new road to fu in the south gives a route to Join the railroad through French IndoChina IndoChina In In- do-China do to the port of Is virtually the western western west west- ern limit of navigation for Yangtze steamers Special flat bottomed boats are necessary for year round traffic Below the city the Yangtze plunges down a treacherous and unruly un un- unruly ruly course through the mountains of ot central China Junks Janka Still Popular Steamboats Steamboats' were put to work on this stubborn stretch of ot river as early as 1898 only Ont seven years after aft aft- er was opened by treaty to foreign commerce But Dut Junks Junk of ot ancient design are still more generally used though they may require require re re- re- re quire more months for the river up-river trip than a steamer takes days riverfront population of 01 Junks Is almost as numerous as that of the giant glint port of ot With as much as 50 tons ton of ot freight Junks are towed towelS upstream through the gorges by coolie trackers Chinas China's Volga boatmen As many manyas as 81 four dozen of 01 them may tug the Junk along often a quarter of a amile amile amile mile In advance climbing over narrow narrow nar nar- row tracks across faces of cliffs In spite of ot modem modern Invention the Uie coolie coolie coolie coo coo- lie tracker is still the most mOlt useful motor on this stretch of river be he converts hi his dally daily cabbage and rice into manpower which mechanical horsepower has not replaced |
