Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1919 — Rich Chinese Provinces. [ARTICLE]

Rich Chinese Provinces.

Shantung, the Chinese province which Japan has been demanding from China, is a mountainous promontory 100 miles wide, which projects eastward from the mainland into the Yellow sea for 200 miles. Its area is about 55,970 square miles. The central .portion is occupied by massive limestone mountains, culminating in Mount Tai, famous In history and considered sacred by the people. West, southwest and north of these mountains lie the Shantung portions of the great alluvial plain of north China. East and southeast of the mountains and throughout the promontory are many fertile valleys and small plains. The provi nee is wel i watered, though its lakes are few and small, and there are no rivers of importance except the Hoang-ho, which traverses the great plain in the west and north. The Grand canal runs through the whole province from north to south. Agricul- ' ture is a flourishing industry and the crops include some cotton, a little rice, tobacco, Indigo, wheat, barley, maize, millet, pulse, peanuts and vegetables.