FIGHTING IN CHINA

Southland Times, Issue 19347, 12 September 1924, Page 5

FIGHTING IN CHINA

KIANG-SU TROOPS CONCENTRATING. BIG ATTACK IMMINENT. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) PEKIN, September 10. A correspondent who is with the Kiangsu army says that undoubtedly General Chih Shien-yuan (Governor of Kiang-su) is determined to break through at Hwangtu, where there is a bigger concentration of Kiang-su troops than anywhere else on the whole front, and to which reinforcements are constantly being sent. The Chekiang forces (under General Lu Tanghsiang), although always facing odds, occupy an easily defensible position between two creeks westwards and eastwards of the railway. The fiercest fighting on the whole front has taken place in this sector, where the Kiang-su forces so far have suffered at least 2000 casualties. The Kiang-su troops twice captured the railway station, but each time it was re-taken. OLD ENEMIES. Chang-tso-lin and Wu-Pei-fu are the two most powerful military commanders in China. They have fought one another before, and it was expected that they would fight each other again. Their struggle is for the control of Pekin, and the central Government, which is at present in the hands of the Chihli party, of which Wu-Pei-fu is the principal champion. At one time it was thought that Chang-Tso-lin might try to descend on Pekin from Mukden, a move which Wu-Pei-fu would certainly endeavour to stop. Chang-Tso-lin, it was reported last week, issued an ultimatum to the Government, stating that unless it stopped the attack on Lu-Yung-hsiang at Shanghai he himself would mediate, by force. SELF-SEEKERS. To put an end to civil strife and inaugurate an era of peace is said to be Wu-Pei fu’s genuine aim. A highly-placed Chinese in Pekin recently stated, however, that on neither side is anything more to be found than the desire, for power and the money which power in China brings with it—for example, in Szechuan, whence so much of the salt revenue comes. In his view Chang-Tso-lin, Wu-Pei-fu and Sun-Yat-sen are but the leaders of hosts of self-seekers ready to supplant or succeed them as opportunity offers. He declared that he could see no hope whatever of peace or unification, and he considered it unlikely that Wu-Pei-fu would succeed in dominating China for any length of time. The most he was willing to concede was the possibility of a temporary dominance, to be followed by a renewal of strife and disunion.