PEKING’S DANGER

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 9 October 1924, Page 7

PEKING’S DANGER

AIR. ATTACKS. REASON ASSIGNED. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. (Received Oct. 9, 1.40 p.m) PEKING, Oct. 8. A heavy artillery exchange took place on the Stanhaikwan front for twenty-four hours till dawn this morning, when. Chang Tso Lin’s troops attacked under an accurate barrage, but were repulsed at 10 o'clock this morning. The positions virtually are unchanged, but the guns are still active. A Japanese report from- Mukden says Chang Tso' Lin's forces entered Shanhaikwan, where heavy fighting re-, suited in numerous casualties on both sides. An intercepted report states that the Christian general Feng Yu Hsiang has definitely broken with Chihli, and is refusing to lead an army, to the front. Feng telegraphed Tsaokun saying it is iiseless to fight against outsiders while so much corruption exists in Peking. Wu Pei Fu discarded the idea of leaving for the • front, fearing that Feng will attack his rear. There are many indications that the Peking defence forces are on the point of internal collapse. Replying to a recent diplomatic note regarding air attacks oh Peking, Chang Tso Lin declares his forces must attack Peking because it isj the enemy’s headquarters, and the only way to ensure the safety of the capital is to remove the headquarters therefrom. Sun Yat Ren has published a draft of the new Constitution of China, providing, firstly, for a neriod of military dictatorship to crush the forces of counter revolution; secondly, for a period of political tutelage and then a constitutional neriod. : A Sun cable says the provisional cc-istitution is impotent, the sole achievement of the revolution being that the name of the Republic of China has not advanced to the position of eciualitv among the nations nor has the Republic developed politically or economically.