A Japanese Flavour Reported:
Yeh Kung-chow Goes from Communications Peking, May 14.
To-day, the old Cabinet under Chin Yung-peng resigned en masse and a new government was formed. The following official appointments have been announced by a Presidential Mandate.
Chin Yung-peng to be Premier: Chang Shih-tan to be Minister of Communications: Li Shih-wei_ to be Minister of Finance: Chi_Yao-shan to be Minister of Home Affairs: Li Ting-hsin to be Minister of Navy: Tsai Cheng-hsun to be Minister of War.
The rest of the Cabinet Ministers are as before——Eastern News Agency.
Peking, May 15.
With the exception of the new Minister of Finance, whose appointment marks the return of Japanese influence, the Cabinet reconstruction agrees with the programme drawn up at the Tientsin conference.
The old Chiaotung party fought hard to retain the portfolio of Communications, but their opponents finally triumphed. The opposition to Mr. Yeh Kung-chow's retention of this office is apparently based on the ground that he refused to hand over the surplus revenues of his Department to the Cabinet, and that the tenure of the Finance portfolio without the revenues from Communications becomes a very barren responsibility. So long as Mr. Chow Tze-chi was Minister of Finance, however, this question could easily be adjusted between two old friends.—Reuter.
Portfolio of Finance Accepted by Li Shih-wei Peking, May 18.
It is stated on official authority that Li Shih-wei persists in refusing the portfolio of Finance, probably being influenced by press reports that he is pro-Japanese, and also, perhaps, by the fact of the approach of the Tragon Festival, which makes it incumbent upon the Ministry of Finance to provide the Government with further funds.
Fan Yuan'lien' also declines to take up the portfolio of Education, owing to the opposition of the teachers and students, which shows no abatement. The Ministers of Communications, Interior and Navy are forthwith assuming office, while the Minister of War has notified his acceptance.
Pan Fu will probably act as Minister of Finance for the time being, while the Government will appoint a Vice-Minister of Education, who will similarly act as Minister.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.