The Monarchical Plot—Chang Tso-lin's Denial—Trade Agreement for Russia—Red Invasion Feared—Penalties for Corruption What with the Mongolian revolt, financial stringency, monarchical plot, teachers' strike, the stillborn election, factional jealousy, disaffected soldiery, famine and earthquake, and a multitude of other troubles, besetting the Government and people, the outlook of he political situation in this country appears to be gloomy in the extreme. The Cabinet is reporttd to be tottering again, and Premier Chin Yun-peng to be, as a dost desperate resort, urging the four inspector-generals, Wang Shih-chen, Wang Chan-yuan, Chang Tso-lin and' Tsao Kun, to condescend to grace the capital with their august presence, so that he may hold a personal conference with these dignitaries on a number of knotty problems, the solution of which has; so far been beyond him and his colleagues. Wang Shih-chen has already arrived in Peking, and Chang Tso-lin was to follow in a day or two; but whether Tsao Kun. and Wang Chan-yuan will respond to the Premier's call with equal alacrity is a question yet to be decided. Even assuming that they will all come to Peking, many Chinese newspapers have expressed doubts whether these four supertuchuns, generally recognized as the most powerful men in this country, can solve any of the difficult problems to the satisfaction of the nation or even to their own satisfaction, seeing their mutual jealousy and distrust and in view of the present split-up of the country.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.