HANKOW
FOREWORD.
Owing to the disastrous floods in the Hankow district in August 1931,
when the whole city was innundated and business completely stopped, we feel
that an introductory note is necessary to this section.
The city was flooded for some weeks, the water on the river guage being
53 feet 6 inches, or about three feet above the former record, at one period,
and terrible damage to life and property was sustained. The information given
in this section was gathered prior to the floods and it has not proved possible
to check its present veracity before going to press. Realising that it is pro-
bable, if conditions improve, that many of the firms who were forced to close
down in the latter part of 1931 may have opened again by the time this book is on the market, it was thought better to let the section stand, while warning our readers that it may contain many inaccuracies.
Nov. 1, 1931.