Hsieh-yuan, Commander of the 6th Division of the Peiyang Army stationed at Nanking, in Peking has been the subject of much speculation in local political circles. It is generally stated that General Chi is here as the representative of Tuchun Li Hsun, to make every effort to reconsolidate what is' known as the Chili faction of the military party.
Asis generally known, ex-President Feng Kuo-chang " was the recognized leader nti-Tuan faction in the Northern military group. His chief lieutenants were Governor Tsao Kun of Chibli and Governor Li Hsun of Kiangsu. For some years past it has been generally understood that the ex-President's leadership was a convenient fiction and that it was only recognized to prevent friction among the minor comnianders so that a united front might be presented to the Tuan forces generally conceded to be pro-Japanese. Ex-President Feng's death dispelled the make-believe. It became apparent that if the party was to remain intact, a new leader would have to be selected and the difficulty of choosing between Tsao Kun, senior, and Hsun, the more ' capable, was 0 apparent that many minor factors in the organization at once _conteniplated desertion to the Tuan camp, anticipating the collapse of their own organization.
Tua Star or Carnt-
The first to go was General Wang, Commander of the 16th Division, a part of the Imperial Guard. 'The loyalty of General Liu Shen, Commander of the 15th Division, was also doubtful and as Governor Tsao Kun has no great reputation for either courage or stability, it was feared for a time that' the whole Chibli organization might be split up to! the direct profit of that branch of Marshal Tuan's following which is controlled by the leaders of the Anfu Club.
The Tuan following is, as every one knows, split within—itself. Premier Chin. Yun-peng and General Hsu Shu-cheng are the of two bitterly-opposed This situation, offers who would keep the Chihli organization intact, an oppor tunity to form a peculiarly strone military group, which will probably be known in future as th Shantung-Chibli. clique. It is believed now that Governor L Hsun and Governor Tsao Kun can they can at this time combine forces with the many powerful and energetic Shantung commanders Little Hsu will find himself op posed to an irresistibly strong anti-Hsu and anti-Japanese coal tion of military barons.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.