The political dovecots in Peking were fluttered in the early spring ical restoration, saito be inspired by rumours of 2 coming monarch-by Chang Tso-lin, but like so many of the other interesting rumours of the Spring it quickly subsided. By April, however, tendencies were beginning to shape themselves, and Canton loomed ever larger on the horizon. Dr, Sun Yat-sen was inaugurated President there in April, and immediately the North replied. Three great warlords there were in the North at that time—Chang Tso-lin, Tsao Kun and Wang Chan-yuan. To-day only two remain, for Wang Chan-yuan, Tuchun of Hupeh and Inspector-General of Hupeh and Hunan, has since retired into private life far from the scene of his former misrule. At that time, however, he was a power in the land, and he joined the other two satraps in conference at Tientsin where a plan to subjugate Kuangtung was agreed upon. This powerful triumvirate was as a matter of fact to find trouble much nearer home than that, and there was to be no move against Kuangtung during the year. The troops in Honan were already restive, and a distinct movement to rid the province of Tuchun Chao Ti was inaugurated. This brought the position of Wu Pei-fu into the forefront. It was a curious mixed up movement and, Wu Pei-fu refusing to be a party to it in any shape or form, it rapidly subsided. By June, however, the neighbouring province of Hupeh was in an uproar. A long spell of service unrelieved-by the advent of pay-day was sufficient cause for unrest, and events now moved hurriedly on to a dramatic finish for one leading figure on the stage. At the. beginning of the month it was announced that some of Wang Chan-yuan's unpaid soldiery were to be disbanded, and lawless at any time, they seem to have decided to help themselves on this occas-jon. On June 4 they accordingly looted Ichang and three days later the trouble spread to Wuchang. Tuchun Wang had the outbreak quickly in hand, and his position on the face of things did not seem seriously shaken. Nevertheless, within a few weeks he was packing off to Tientsin as hard as he could go.
Wang Chan-yuan had been deserved ly unpopular in Hunan and Hupeh, and taking these lootings as a casus belli Hunan seems.to have decided that he must be ousted. It was a distinctly perplexing situation at the time, not at all in accordance with what would ordinarily be expected to occur in China. There seemed altogether too much altruism about Hunan's attitude, -remembering especially that it is-a province which more than anything else desires to be left alone. Here it was, nevertheless, invade ing Hupeh and offering almost unlimited assistance to the Hupeh people against their ruler, Subsequent events showed that what carried through the movement more than anything else was the inspiration of Canton. To follow. this, it is necessary to turn to anton's activities in the preceding weeks, While the Tientsin conference was progressing, Canton was equally busy with plans for the invasion of Kuangsi. These were completed by the middle of June, the. invading forces were launched on their journey, and by the end of July KKuangtung's victory was beyond question. While revenge prompted this campaign to a certain extent, Canton was as much animated by an ulterior motive. The war party there had a trial of strength with the North in mind, and the defeat of Kuangsi merely removed an inconvenient enemy from the flank and rear. The next step was to secure a good jumping off place for the attack on Peking, and the twin provinces of Hunan and Hupeh were the ideal ground. Hunan was accordingly urged to go in and rid China of Wang Chan-yuan, and it was only a question of time before an equal influence was brought to bear on Szechuan. jThe position became rapidly too hot for Tuchun Wang, and on August 8 be resigned.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.