CHINESE WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 September 1924, Page 2

CHINESE WAR.

LATEST CABLE NEWS

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ABBOCIATION. OPERATIONS IN THE SOUTH. PEKIN. September ILL There was little lighting during the week-end on the Wangtn Linlio front. hit’s decision to hold cm to this lino i.s obviously meant to ns-ist the Maudlin ian leader Chang Tso hill, by engaging in the South as long a.s possible fairly large forced that would otherwise he employed by V'u Pei Fu in the* North against Chang Tso Lin. I.u has now shortened his front to ;j*j miles, which line is held by .To .0110 Shantung t roups, all of whom are beli >ve:l to be loyal to J.u.

I.u i- credited with the intelltic.ll ultimately of failing back on positions two miles from the boundaries of the foreign settlements of Shanghai. Ibis' will almost certainly mean that some of the Kiangsn Army’s .shells will fall inside the city boundaries. This design is: in order that- (so I.u is said to calculate! foreign intervention, which will pot lie unfavourable to himself, will he insured. Kiangsn, in the past four days, l as been bringing up further reinforcements. especially guns, to the Southern front. Dr. Sun Vat Son remains at Shankwan on the Kwangtuug Kiangsi border, with a few thousand troops, a,lid he is now evpedojl to play any effective uart in tlu* war.

Reports from the South state- that Chen Chiung Aling, former Generalissimo of the Southern troops at vauton and an old enemy of Dr Sun A at Sen i.s preparing to move towards Canton fume AA’aichow. “For a long time the people of China have been expecting a clash between Chang Tso-'in anil AVu Pei-fu,” said the Consul-General for China (Air Ouei! to a “Sydney Morning Herald” reporter last week, in discussing the latest development in China. “It will e recalled.” said Air Ouei, “that last year there was trouble between these leaders, but eventually a compromise was arranged. All along, however, they have been hitter rivals. 11l these two men—tbe most important leaders in Northern China to-day—come into i onlli t matters will assume an exceedingly serious position. This clash has long been awaited, and the sooner it comes tin* sooner will the way lie clear for uuificnli-.il. It is little more than ten years since the great revolution. China is a vast country, and it will take a long time to establish stable conditions. I think, however, that the ptoseiil trouble will soon he settled, and afterwards it will ibe easier to attain uniform government. ’* Chang Tsolin betaine predominant in Pekin in lfrJO. Alter two years of bad government AVu Pei-fu attacked (•Bang Tso-lin, and drove him back to Mam burin. AVu Pei-fu, who professes to abstain from politics, again retired from the capital, and left the Government to it--elf. AVitlmut any strong political colour or any hacking of force, the Cabinet, with a weak President behind it. was powerless, lienee, the impasse- for many months. Tsao-kun, the head of the Chihli party, then came to the front. AVu Pei-fu is believed to control directly <:r indirectly 100. COO men. Chang Tso-lin’s forces amount to about 110.000 men. His

three provinces are prosperous owing to rich harvests. Alter his defeat by AN* ll IYi-fu. Chang commenced sweeping changes in his military organisation and'established a g oat arsenal on military lines.