ARMIES FLEEING NORTH WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18465, 17 May 1928, Page 5

ARMIES FLEEING NORTH WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT.

SOUTHERN ARMY SECURING BLOODLESS VICTORIES IN CHINA. lUnited Pres? Assn.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received Mav 17, 11 a.m.) SHANGHAI, May 16. Northern military and civilians are steadily evacuating Tien-tsin and Pekin in expectation of the Southerners’ arAll reports point to Chang Tso-lin leaving arid returning to Manchuria, and not attempting to hold the northern capital, with the result that foreign military commanders have ordered the erection of barricades at the foreign concessions at Tien-tsin to prevent a possible repetition of the Tsinan-fu incidents. The Northern armies are on the verge of collapse, and the behaviour of the leaders is encouraging the desertion of

thousands, who are pawning their uniforms and otherwise destroying evidences of their service in the Northern armies. The majority of the officers are imiChang Tso-lin in despatching their families and possessions to the sole remaining refuge from the Southern ers-y-Manch uria. An astonishing feature of the. situation is that the much-vaunted armies of the northern Dictator, Chang Tso-lin, are retreating and are not firing a shot. The only shots the Southerners have exchanged are with Japanese troops in Tsinan-fu. The rest have been bloodless victories.—Australian Press Association.