Tsingtao. Oct: 31.
Reports received here declare that. the Fengtien position at Heuchow is very strong and is growing more impregnable every day. More than 100,000 Fengtien troops are masced in front of Hsuchow and in either vian for more than score of miles. In addition thousands more are arriving every day. The Tsinpu Railway is extremely busy transporting troops to front and in the last three day alone, 20 trains have left Tsinan.
Besides the veteran troops being [despatched to the front from points, to the north in Chibli, Manchuri Heilungkiang and other sections, Shantung is being combed for recruits and, according to reports, more than 50,000 coolies have already found their way, voluntarily or otherwise, into the Fengtien ranks. Orders went out to impress 600 in each of the 107 Asien in Shantung. These orders were carried out implicitly. Tsingtao is reported as having provided more than 2,000 in this way. Nearly all have been converted into soldiers.
Now there has been issued an order that each of 107 helen must provide from 1000 to 2000 more troops, voluntary enlistments being preferable. The Asien magis-tes are made personally responble to vee that the is quota raised.
Figuring the Fengtien Shantung now-to be well 000, which is being daily augmented, by contingents arriving from the north, the new levy on the pro vince's man-power will bring the army's strength between 250,000 and 300,000 men. Marshal Chang Teo-lin is reported as announcing] that he is mobilizing an army of 100,000 soldiers In Manchuria to despatch to the front. It will be readily seen that in man-power, if in ino other respect, the Fengtien army is an almost insurmountable obstade to the ambitious schemes of the Chihli party.
The arsenals are reported as working day and night te manufacture shells and ammvaition for the host of Fengtien soldiers, while a score of aeroplanes have already been despatched to the front and, more are on the way from Mukden.
The strategic importance of the capture of Haichow cannot be overlooked. More soldiers are being. despatched there from this port and the Fengtien hold on this important centre will soon be very strong. From this point an attack the rear of the allied armies is not unexpected. The success of this mancvre would be a body blow to Chili hopes.
The reorganization of the Shantung army into five army corps, which took place the other day, is expected to render the army more compact and mobile. General Chang Chung-chang named himself as leader of the first-corps, General Sun Cheng-sen the second, General Sun Chung-ping the third, Genei Chu Yueh-pao the fourth and General Hsu Kwun the fifth, mander-in-chief, has appoint General Chang Chung-chang, com-
[ed Generd Chao Ken as commander-in-chief of Fengtien forces at Heujehol. The format will probably make his headquarters at Tsinan Jand keep in close touch with every phase of the situation by private The 29th and 28th Brigades have just been ordered to entrain for the front. General Chen—Kuo-jui, commander of the latter, has just returned from visiting the autumn yanqeuvees in Japan, General Chang has wired to Peking for 20. additional telegraph operators to be assigned: to Hsuchow headquarters to help in the commun. feat ions service.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.