The war was being much move freely discussed than. is usual in 'Wa Pei-fu's headquarters, Tt was said that both 'Tien Wei-chin' troops and their Fengtien supporters were in the vicinity of Hsua: hhuafu, pressing on towards Kal that Wang Wei-wel was steadily' advancing, on what is known as the Chile route, through the mountains, and that Wel Yi-san was pushing forward as support to the Shansi right flank, The staff officers, when asked for the true story of the capture of Nankow pass, laughingly said that there would never be an undisputed true story of that event, nor a true story of the taking of Huailai. They explained that the Fengtien folk claimed to have taken hill in, the pass, under cover of heavy artillery fire, from which) they commanded the Kuominchun positions, thereby forcing a with-'Grawal and there was no doubt that they had done well with their big guns at the end and had made things very lively for the Kuominchun, so they deserved their share of the credit.
On the other hand, Brigade Com: mander Yang, one of Tien Wai. ch'in's officers, claimed that he had forced the retreat by defeating the Kuominchun north of Nankow, threatening Huailai and their line of communication. He also claims to have captured Huailai immodiately after the Kuominchun withdrawal from Nankow and to have been established there when the Fengtien troops arrived in pursuit of the Kuominchun.
These are matters of no great importance except to the officers. who have reputations 10 make, but it is important to know that the Kuominchun were actually Joutmancuvred in their strong positions and forced to withdraw.
In handing over here to Marshal Chi and going back to Hankow Marshal Wu Pei-fu makes no pretence that this war is over or that the Kuominchun defeat is complete, His staff officers admit that there is a lot still to be done and that it may be no oaty matter to give) the Kuominchun thei quietus, but they say that Marshal Wa' now considers the southern situation as important as thie situation was two weeks ago and that he is needed more there than here.
The news that Wa Pei-fu was going reached Peking three days ago and the whole city seemed to know it at once, It was by no means an occasion for rejoicing, The populace seems to have felt that while he was at Changhsintien the Shantung and Fengtien commanders were making some attempt to maintain discipline and make a show of decorum and that, in leaving now, he is leaving the city at the mercy' of these unpopular folk. The town has 20 little confidence in them that it is not quite prepared yet to accept the Fengtien version of the capture of Nankow. The people will not believe that such generals and such soldiery could ever take Nankow, and when the police forced the shop-keepers to hang out flags in jeelebration of the victory, the city jas a whole sneered and said: "They have probably taken Nankow station, where they should have been in April and are at last within sight of the mouth of the pass."
When it was at last certain, beyond the possibility of a quibble that the Kuominchun had" with: drawn, the sceptical citizens surmised' that, for some reason, the Kuominchun had seen a tactical advantage in retiring and the story Went the rounds that the Fengtien artillery had shelled the empty pany for two days after the withdrawal before the soldiers dared venture up it in pursuit. This is probably an unjust estimate of the case and is only cited to show how little fidence the victors have won her When Brigade Commander Yang's account of the way in which he foreed the retreat gets into circula~ tion, it will certainly be popularly accepted because it is in Tine with what the populace wants to believe, Fengtien and Eh' Hsieh-yean There is already a feeling abroad here that the Fengtien leaders are trying to claim all the credit of the victory, robbing Wu his share, and that Wa is in rome fashion being crowded out, Of this, feeling one can find little trace at Changhsintien,—Goneval Chang Chung-eh'ang certainly is net popular there and some of his major subordinates are openly described as bandits, bat the alliance depend for its continued existence upon the mutual confidence existing between, Wu Pei-fu ard Chang Tso-lin, since no one ever expected the sub. ordinates to like one another, and does not appear that this' confidence hag been in any way impaired nor that Wu Pel-fu ix Jeaving for any other reason than te take control of an urgent situa Another matier which is prompt= ing much dubious head wagging among the gossips is Ch'i Hsieh jsuan's assumption of command, It pointed out that when Wu Pei took over these Honan and Shensi units of his, he took in hand most and that that he performed the miracle of restering diseipliny, cohesion and ercrdination among, them. If he goes, can anyone liv hold their fealty'? They do ne know Ch'i Heieh-yuan and he not the same glittering reputation as Wu Pei-fu, nor the same persenality. Can be lead the hordes of the great khan?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.