On the 10th instant, "the late" Szechuan Tuchun Hsiong K'eh-wu abandoned hope of success in his campaign to drive out the Yunnan and Kueichow forces from Szechuan, and fled from Chengtu with the remainder of his scattered, beaten and disrupted forces. For several weeks his cause looked bright and hopeful especially when General Liu Yii-chin condescended to give the Tuchun his moral and possibly his actual support. But the Szechuanese have only themselves to blame that. they find to-day their province again in the complete control of the Yun-Kuei forces now more strongly established than ever before in all the strategic positions of Szechuan.
Tue Curse or Murvat Jeacovsy.
First Liu Yiichiu with his 4th Division followed by the sth Division deserted the Tuchun. Then the 3rd Division refused to fight the 5th Division (Lit Ch'ao), xo that it soon became obvious the Szechuanese could not hold together for a common aim, because of mutual jealousy between themselves, Hsiong K'ehawu weakened his control over the 1st Division because he used in responsible positions his own friends irrespective of their capacities for doing the work involved. The rank and file of the Ist Division have cursed their officers for remaining in safety to gamble and smoke opium while the ranks in charge of very junior officers go out to risk the dangers of battle with such good fighters as the Yunnanese. Thus within the last two weeks prior to. the 10th instant, the Tuchun's forces collapsed, scattered and fled, leaving Hsiong with no alternative but to abandon Chengtu after having deposited his more valuable worldly belongings and his family with certain of his foreign friends for safety!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.