CHAOS IN CHINA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 27 October 1924, Page 7

CHAOS IN CHINA.

EXTRA EDITION.

A “GENERAL” MIX-UP. PEKING CUT OFF. CABINET RESIGNS. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT PEKING, Oct. 25. It is hardly an exaggeration to pay that Feng-Yuh-Siang's defection from wu-Pei-Fu’s side has complicated the political and military situation, which is already almost beycmd foreign comprehension, if not lieyond 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 point that he cannot do st>, if for no other reason than that Feng controls the railway leading from one of his chief arsenals. -'Moreover, the success of Feng’s coup caiisect further dissension in Wu-Pei-Fu’s camp, for the Chinese proverbially ai-e prone to desert the losing general. On the other hand, Wu-Pei-Fu is known to be a brave man, who, unless there are further serious defectiohs, is unlikely to accept the present state of Things lyiiig down. " Theii there is the question of the at- < tit tide likely to be adopted bv the military governors of the various provinces, who have supported Wu-Pei-Fu hitherto, especially along the Yang-T.se and around Shanghai. "Will tinue to support him? If so, and lie succeeds in linking up forces with thejn, the war may continue indefinitely, though it. is more probable his followers will fall away and his power speedily collapse. Much depends upon what money power he still commands. With Peking cut off, the financial question must now foe serious for him. Ampng other important consequence® of Feng’s intention to hold conferences may be another lease of power in the. south for Sun-Yat-Sen, whose political fortunes since the burning of Canton have been at the lowest possible ebb. Altogether things in China have never been more in the melting pot than now. and foreigners and the best type of Chinese hbpe that a stable Government with, above all, some degree of security for , life and property, may emerge from the present chaos. Feng requested Tsao-Kun to issue . two' mandates, firstly ordering the immediate cessation of hostilities, and, secondly, ordering the punishment of Wu-Pei-Fu. Tsao-Kun agreed to the former, but declined the. latter. Feng then took a to secure compliance and later it was announced that Tsao-Kun had ordered the cessation of hostilities and the dismissal of Wu-Pei-Fu from his present posts. President Tsao-Knn’s order suspending further hostilities instructs the Ferig-Tien-ites and the Ohih-Li-ites to return to their original stations pending further orders from the Central Government. It is reported that TsaoKun has taken refuge in the legation quarter at Peking; Cabinet resigned after countersigning .the mandate. A communique from Chang-Tso-Lin announces the ending of the war with the Central Government.