from. ing by the Chinese auof obs pticia telegram, received Th@ following is the substance
thorities:
In accordance with suggestions made by Generals Tsao Kun and Wu Pei-fu at Paoting, the Cabinet has framed a plan of disbandment which will shortly be discussed at a Cabinet meeting. The plan distributes the work to be done at three different periods, the first period to begin from January 1, 1923, the second from January 1, 1924, and the third from January 1, 1925. It is proposed to eliminate the weak and the aged from all the divisions and brigades of the Army to tha number of one-fourth of the whole force during the first period, and the same proportion is to be eliminated during the second and third periods until at last the whole Army will be composed of only efficient and strong men, and reduced to about 42 per cent. of the present strength.
There will be seven areas within which the disbandment scheme is to be carried out, namely, (1) Fengtien-Kirin-Heilungkiang, (2) Chihli-Shantung-Honan, (3) Kiangsvu-Anhui-Chekiang-Hupeh, (4) Shensi-Shansi-Kansu-Sinkiang, (5) Fukien-Kiangsi-Kuangsi-Hunan, (6) Kuangtung, and (7) Yunnan-Szechuan-Kueichow.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.