Most people were awakened ver; early on Christmas morning by vho too familiar sound of rifle firing. It was evident from the amount of noise that something unusual was happening. At dawn, it gradually became known that no one was allowed to enter or leave the city and that the main streets were also shut off from ordinary trafic. Then it leaked out -brigadier general Li Chung-lin was lying dead at the Niehkungkuan near the Liuyang Gate which had been commandeered first by the northern soldiers as the headquarters of the Lith Division, and later by the southerners as Li Chung-lin's headquarters. Five others had also been killed, none of whom are known in the foreign press. The provincial treasurer had had a narrow escape. For some time his name was added to the list of those killed; but it now seems that he managed to "resign"—in other words, he got away in the nick of ime. For a few hours General Ti's head was hung up on one of the streets; but before midday it was removed. All day long, there was more or less interference with Troops were despatched to Liling yesterday and there are rumours that Gen. Li's men have fled taking such things as they could before starting.
Hunan anp Hureu.
Extra Hupeh men arrived at 3 a.m. on Christmas morning. Hupeh men are guarding the city gates and walls. These men are paid by Hunan and are altogether opposed. to Wang Chan-yuan as far as they are personally concerned. The wildest rumours are afloat as to what Hunan is planning to do with regard to Hupeh. One hears from this man that it was the murdered men who wanted to turn out Wang; from others that it was the party that murdered them. Li Liehchun, who still hankers after Kiangsi, is in the southwest corner of the province, at Hung-chiang. His movements are as differently reported as are the inclinations of the various cliques who are now engaged in the game of murdering' each other. There is no doubt that Chao Hong-ti and his party would have been unable to stay in power after his disastrous retreat a few weeks back without some action of this sort.
The civil governor stayed in his ihe aes but im he, term; [avn priate here fo sao bu Seer rare AE ehidentiy he is back in his office. There are representatives in the city from all hent on getting news from anybody else. There were no signs of ear or of hurry, as there always vas at such times when the northerners were in power. But there was little or no transport of merchan-Oise. The ricshas were plying for hire and although not so numerous ending idle for long. Soon aft ok. the streets were quit pty and no one was able to the varying parties and cliques of the republic, probably not one is without hope of gaining some amount of support, at least in promises; probably also, not one who would take any promise at its face value.
Apart from this political mes, Christmas was a typical mid-China autumn day. Since then we have had clouds, but mo rain.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.