Peking, Nov. 30.
This is the season of wild rumours. Three days ago it was reported "on reliable authority" that Feng Vu-hsiang had been executed; and we were also told "by a high authority" that he had been assassmoted by one of Wu Pei-fu's agent The next day it was "reliably ro-ported" that a restoration movement was under way and that Marshal Wu Pei-fu had wired privately to Marshal Tuan Chi-jui that he would raise no objections. That same day General Chang Hsueh-liang went in the morning to Tien T'ai Ssu the Western Hills to see Feng Vu-hsiang, who was reposing there in good health. The "best. authorities" had it that Marshal Tuan, and Marshal Chang wanted Feng his resignation and had young General," as he is called, to bring him in and talk it over.' Equally good authorities claimed that an attempt was being made to decoy him into town so that he could be put under arrest, because he had threatened a counter, coup under Mr. Karakhan's auspices. It was also "reported from authoritative sources" that Feng. wanted to come in and talk things jover but that he had demanded hostages and that General Chang and Chief-of-Staff Yang had voluntered to go to Feng's temple and re-_ in the hands of his bodyguard until he had visited Peking und had returned to the hills.
'The story of an impending new' coup of a Bolshevik character has been going the rounds for a week and refuses to be downed. If Marshal Tuan and Marshal Chang do not know it, they are the only persons in Peking who have not heard that Feng Vu-hsiang resigned from his command so as to give his troops, now estimated to number 50,000, an opportunity to "scupper" the big leaders and then loot the after which he would reassume command and, with Dr. Sun's cooperation, set up a Soviet regime under Russian patronage.
Those who circulate this story, which has been traced back to the compradore of a foreign firm, do not seem to take into account the fact that, although Chang Tso-lin no more than 15,000 men feithin striking' distance "of the capital, the Fengtien commanders would after such a coup issue the heartiest possible invitation to Wu Pei-fu and all the Yangtze commanders to join them in completely obliterating Feng - Vu-hsiang, Jarmy and everyone in any way associated with him. Of this Marshals Chang and Tuan are of course aware, jor they would not be here surrounded by 50,000 men commanded. by a man. who has gone back.on everyone bovith whom-he as been -assoclated whom -they -have just ousted from the "supreme position Peking.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.