From Hankow. It has been yet another letterless week and he wonders how everyone is getting on. They have had a taste of summer weather here recently.
The latest phase of the situation here, is that Feng Yu Hsiang's anti-communist line appears to be winning hands down. Even [Mikhail Markovitch] Borodin appears to have left, although he may be hiding until the storm has died down. Foreign opinion remains doubtful although the Chinese are very happy at this turn of events.
He heard this week from Miss Swan, Mrs [Edward] Cundall, Dr Chapman, Tregeen[?] (wondering about Africa), [Alfred John] Gedye (who has asked to be attached to the English work in Madras, India for the time being) and Dorothy. He has also been meditating much about [William Rowley], who has written nicely and with kindness but with an undercurrent of tension. H B R wonders if it will really be possible for them to work together again, unless Rowley can find his own sphere of activity in a country circuit somewhere. 'He is personally persona non grata with many both Chinese and foreign'. Also, having been in charge of the district for a little while, he is finding it difficult to disengage himself. He ought not to have been appointed chairman. 'He is a good man but he lived in Anlu too long. Then also there is Aunt Priscilla. I do'nt want to say things about either...but I wonder if he has not exhausted his usefulness'. At present Rowley is talking about being back in six months - he is as clay in the hands of [Herman Stanley] Dixon, who is incidentally turning quite gray. Dixon has gone to Shanghai for two months for a rest, and half a hope that he may be able to get his family to Kuling for part of the time. He is a very clever man and H B R doubts he will ever be content unless he gets to the top of the tree.
H B R has talked over a lot of things with Chiang. They have another new baby, which is not in the best of health.
He spoke this morning with Hsiao Kou Kuei. The service was good and he seems to have improved a great deal. Lin Chun Chien has taken the opium cure, prayed into it by his sister.
He wonders what has been happening in Conference this week - Methodist Union of course but what else?.
He received a letter from the Secretary of the [Local Preachers Connexional Committee?] at the beginning of this week. It informed him of one young man at Bristol who had made up his mind to preach and another at Newark in Lincolnshire, who had decided to be a missionary in services conducted by H B R last year.