Aftermath of the Murder of Hsiao Ch'ang-chih From Our Own Correspondent, Changsha, Nov. 18.
This morning's paper, the "Za Kung Pao," tells its readers that there will shortly be a change in the arrangement of offices ju Changsha. T'an Yen-k'aj will hand over all military affairs to Gen. Chao Hong-ti and will simply retain the civil governorship until such time as there can be a proper election for that post, Tu all probability there is a direct connexion between the murder of Hsiao Ch'ang-chih and this movement. Of course everyone in Hunan knows that Mr. T'an is not a military official. He has always when in office acted as chief military official of the province simply because to allow anyone else to wield that office in Changsha would carry with it an inferiority of the civil office that Mr, T'an very properly objected to.
There is no doubt that Chao Hong-ti is the best military man in Hunan. Many people expect that the choice for civil governorship is likely fall on Lin Tzu-vu, who held the office of Commissioner of Police whilst T'an Hao-min was here and who has resumed it since the return of the southerners this spring. It has been generally considered that he wanted the office of Shen-chang i.e., civil governor and was dissatisfied that n should once more take both mi ary and civil appointments.
There is not likely to be any disturbance at present in the city over these movements. T'an, Chac and Lin are all well known and there is no question of there being any party strife in the streets on behalf of either side. The soldiers will probably accept the fait accompli whichever way it turns out. I am not inclined to magnify the socialistic programme as far as it has hitherto gone, Of course it is a playing with fire that it likely sconer or later to burn what the burners themselves will afterwards regret. But such a day h vet arrived. part the socialistic tendencies of the soldiers had to do with the murder of Hsiao Ch'ang-chih, a still greater part must be attributed to the decision of some of the front men of the province that it is better to do without T'an Yen-kai. It is not pleasing to think that they have stooped to conniving at assassination to attain their objects.
Paywaster-Comaaxper C. B. Roberts has been appointed to H. M.
Titania, one of the submarine depot ships on the China Station. Commander Roberts entered the financial branch of the Naval Service in January, 1805, and reached his present rank in July, 1914.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.