WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 77, 27 September 1924, Page 7

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?

firtJ EEI-FU'S MOVE

BBS "?AT SEN MAY RECOVER,

jsmm> rais3 association.—copiright.) TELEGRAiI.) - PEKTN, 25th October. . It is hardly an exaggeration to say Jhat Feng Yu-hsiang's defection from iWu Pei-fu's side has complicated the political and military situation, which already was almost beyond foreign comprehension,, if not beyond all of the Chinese. The question arises—will Wu Pei-fu continue to fight, and, if so, against whom—Chang Tso-lin or Feng? The probabilities seem to be that he .cannot do so if for no other reason than that Feng controls, the railway leading from his chief arsenals. Moreover, the success of Feng's coup has caused further dissension in Wu's camp, for the Chinese are proverbially prone to desert a losing general. On the other hand, Wu is known to be a brave man, who, unless there are further serious defections, .is not likely to accept ■- the • present state of things lying down. Then there is the question of the attitude likely to be adopted by the military governors of the various provinces who have supported Wu Pei-fu hitherto, especially along the Yangtze . and around' Shanghai. Will they continue to support him? If so, and he succeeds in linking up forces with them, war may continue indefinitely, though it is more probable- his followers will fall away, and his power speedily collapse. Much depends upon what money and power h6 still commands. With Pekin cut off, the financial question must now be serious for him. Among other important, consequences of Feng's intention to hold a conference may be' another lease of power in the South for Sun Vat Sen, whose political fortunes since the burning of Canton have been at «he lowest possible ebb. Altogether things in China have never been more in the meltingpot than now; and foreigners and the best type of Chinese hope that a stable Government, with, above all, some degree of security for life and property, may emerge v from the present chaos.