THE CHINESE WAR

Southland Times, Issue 19508, 6 May 1922, Page 5

THE CHINESE WAR

PEKIN SURROUNDED BY WU CHANG’S ARMY SCATTERED FALL. OF THE CAPITAL IMMINENT. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) PEKIN, May 4. General Wu-Pei-fu’s troops have surrounded Pekin. Chang-teo-lin’s army is scattered. All the railroads are cut and traffic to Pekin is suspended. Chang’s flank was turned on Wednesday night, and he is retreating towards Fengtai. The acting Premier, Chow Izuchi, sent an American, Roy Anders >n, to negotiate with Wu-Pei-fu’s commanders regarding relations with the Pekin Government. The President has appealed to both sides to end hostilities. A Shanghai message states that dissension in the ranks of Sun-Yat-sen's Canton forces and' the refusal of a mutinous commander to lead an expedition against General Wu-Pei-fu is believed to forecast an early defeat for Chang-tso-lin. Sun-Yat-sen ordered General Chiungling to attack Wu-Pei-fu on the north. Chiang ling retorted that Wu was a patriot fighting China’s battles against the Japanese -domination. Liang-siang despatches state that Wu-Pei-fu is expected to capture Pekin by the week-end. His forces have been reinforced. by 1000 Christian Chinese troops, who made a forced march across the desert from Shensi, 200 miles, in five days. Three Japanese gunboats have arrived at Tientsin. f It is reported that Admiral Tusnikuei commanding a division of the Chinese fleet, has sailed for Chinwanghao for the purpose of blowing up Chang-tso lin’s communication lines.