Peking, July 19, 2.20 p.m.
Tuan Chih-kuei returned to the capital last night, having narrowly escaped capture, and is reported wounded. He acknowledges that the western front is entirely abandoned by all troops except the severely wounded and small detachments which are surrounded near Chochow.
Back in barracks at Nanyuan and Peiyuan are starved, exhausted and dispirited troops. The wounded total nearly 2,000, and most of them have been abandoned. Mine explosions killed 600. The wounded say that.they saw no enemy on the western front.
Headquarters have now been removed to Peking, and the Peking-Hankow Railway is open to Wu Pei-fu. The latter is advancing slowly. His main force is reported to be advancing across country upon Huangtsun_ with the object of intercepting Hsu Shu-cheng. The latter is reported to be retreating.
Tuan Chi-jui admits defeat, and resigns all offices and titles. In a petition to the President he confesses misjudgement and mismanagement.
The President to-day refused to accept a new peace commission. Chin Yun-peng, Fu Liang: tso, Chiang Kuei-ti,' Chang Huai-chih are en route for Tientsin, but there seems little hope of 2 satisfactory settlement until the eastern army is defeated. The Anfuites are clamouring for a comproniise.
The defeated troops have looted some villages for food, otherwise they have caused no trouble. The utter uselessness of the Japanese trained troops against Wu Pei-fu is the subject of much Chinese comment.
The Chamber- of Commerce and the Legations insist that the military of both sides permit the passage of a daily food train from Honan, otherwise food riots are possible.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.