Canton, Sept. 2.
The leaders of the Canton merchant volunteer movement in Canton are in a very embarrassing position as a result of an alleged breach. of faith on the part of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Dr. Sun agree to release in return for a $500,000 special wat contribution the consignment of; arms seized on the steamer Hav by. the authorities, but there is no sign of the merchant volunteers getting back one single rifle, The merchants signed the preliminary agreements and called off the general strike, but now the authorities have put -forward new conditions, including a pledge by the merchants that the arms to be released would never be used to oppose Dr. Sun's mercenary force: The merchants, however, want to be free to act in self-defence, for example, in the event of the looting. of shops Ly troops or of interference with the rights of the peopl The officers of the volunteers are having a difficult time with the younger members of the corps, who are much excited over the execution without trial by the Civil Governor. and the Chief of Police of Major in of the 9th Regiment of the Volunteers, on August 29, fter the signatures to the preliminary peace agreement between the volunteers and the authorities had. been attached. The parties came to fan agreement at 6 o'clock in the evening and Major Chou was executed at 7 o'clock the same day.
The elder members feel that they must forbear oppression a little longer, as at present they have everything to lose and nothing to gain by permitting the younger element to engage in a conflict with the so-called Red Army.—Reuter's Pacific Service, Probable Resumption of Strike Canton, Sept, 9.
The arms question and the strike, which were apparently settled wrhitration of Fang Shih-sheng and Lino Hsing-chao, leaders of the Yonnan troops. have once again come to assume a grave aspect, owing to the fact that the Government stiN refuses to return the seized arms and ammunition to the Merchants' Volunteer Corps, Mr. Chen Lien-pei, Commander, and leaders of the Corps, assisted by Chinese commercial organizations in Hongkong, have demanded from the Government the delivery: of the said arms and ammunition by the 10th instant. They appear *o have come to the conclusion tha: in ease the Government fails to comply with their demand, they will again take some drastic steps,—Eastern News Agency.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.