Canton, March 25.
As is known, the present dispute in Canton is due to the refusal of General Tang Chiyao, Military Governor of Yunnan, to permit General Inw Yung-hsien, Military Governor of Kuangtung, to dismiss Yunnan commanders at will, and the appointment by General Tang of General Li Lich-chun to com-the Yunnan troops in ngtung, in place of General Li Kan-yuan, deserted General Tang for Generals Mu Yung-hsien and Tsen Hung-ying, the leaders of the powerful Chen-hsueh-hui military clique.
In view of the dispute between Generals Li Kan-yuan and Li Liehchun for the control of the Yunnan army in Kuangtung, General Chen Chiung-ming, commander-in-chief of the Canton army at Changchow, Fukien, has been invited by prominent leaders in Canton to return with his troops to his native province, Kuangtung, in order to oust the Kuangsi and Yunnan troops now supporting the Chen-hsueh-hui in its efforts to secure supreme' in Kuangtung. A number of influential Cantonese leaders are now at Changchow trying to persuade General Chen to take immediate action, and it is believed that General Chen is seriously considering the matter.
General Li Lich-chun is now at Chihing, wp the North River, Kuangtung, with some 2,000 men. He is waiting for reinforcements from Yunnan before seeking a direct issue with either General Mu Yung-hsien's or General Li Kan-yuan's men. In the meantime General Mu is despatching 8,000 men from various points te surround General Li Lich-chun.
It is generally anticipated, however, that the Yunnan troops whether under General Li Kan-an or under General. Li Liehwill refuse to fight against each other. If a battle actually occurs between the armies of Generals Mu and Tang, there is little doubt that the Yunnan troops in Kuangtung will either remain neutral or return to General Tang, leaving only Kuangsi men to fight the Kuangsi side.
So far no serious fighting has occurred, although alarmist reports have been fabricated for obvious political purposes.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.