The report of the arrival off Woosung of ships bringing a force to dispute the authority of Gen. Ho Feng-ling was officially denied on Friday last has been previously stated, martial law is in force in the vicinity of the Settlements. According to the Chinese press, double patrols have been sent out between the Military Governor's yamen and Kauchongmiao, the Native City and Siccawei. The roads are said to be lined with sentries at six paces from one another. The "Shanghai Journal of Commerce" mentions that the Chief of the Admiralty in Shanghai has referred to the coming of Tu's forces as "a pure fabrication."
The '"Shunpao" attributes the proposal to abolish the Military Governorship of Shanghai and Sungkiang to an old-standing quarrel between Gen. Ho and Kao En-hung, the present Minister of Communications.
Gen. Ho, according to the Chinese press, when interviewed on the menace from Admiyal Tu's marine force, said that he (Gen. Ho) "would not take action until his foes did."
Reassuring Statement from Admiral Tu Shih-kuei In view of the rumours that have been spread in Shanghai to the effect that Admiral Tu Shih-kuei, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Fleet, was coming to Shanghai with 6,000 of General Wu Pei-fu's picked troops to deprive General Ho Feng-ling of his post as Military Governor of Shanghai and Sungkiang, we have received the following official translation of a circular telegram issued by Vice-Admiral Tu and addressed to the Chinese General and City Chambers of Commerce, the Kiangsu Educational Association, and to the local press. This, we hope should go far in relieving tha local Chinese of their fears and apprehensions. The telegram is as follows:—"Recently, the Shanghai papers published a report that I had approached Marshal Wu Pei-fu for a detachment of 3,000 strong to ba organized as a marine corps and t¢ be brought to and stationed in Shanghai. As a result of this information, the community at Shanghai has been torvitied and all sorts of rumours hava been spread.
"Accordingly, I sent a telegram to General Ho Feng-ling, repudiate ing the sensational reports and the General has, no doubt, explained clearly the alleged statements to the public.
"Now, I learn, the rumour is still rampant in Shanghai and in conseauenca of this, martial law!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.