Jan. 1
It is learned that the Consul-General at Mukden, Mr. Hayashi, was instructed to question Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang concerning the circumstances of General Yang ting's execution and also to ask him whether disturbances were expected to resalt from that event.
Tt is understood that the second question would cover the possibility of alteration of the present relations with Nanking, as well as the pos sibility of internal strife.
Thus far no reply has been fed but the for appears to be increasing in some quarters that with the removal of Marshal Chang Tso-lin and General Yang Vu-ting there is now no one strong enough for the execution of Yanz~ and. Chiang Yin-huai_ have! been broadcast by wire and are pro-ably already known to the government in Nanking. He says "The: reason why I took this decisive and dependent action was because the activities of these two men, not o left those bearing the government no chai matter, It were also danger. During the past si T many times expostulated but' their misileeds became daily more flagrant, Had, unfortunately, their machinations come to a hea and civil strife broken out how could Thave answered for it to the people of the three Eastern Provinces; how could I have answered for it to. the: people who stand by me? There was nothinse for it but to. sacrifice personal feelings and take this drastic action for the sake of this place and for the country's sake. For these men ever plotted for o} portunities to increase their own. power and prestige and cared nothing for us or fur the country. Manchuria is rich in resources and her man power is abundant, but ever since these men came into pow for we have had nothing but di turbances until it seemed that there was no help for the situation, "The rebellion of General Kuo Sung-ling, which was only suppress. ed with much difficulty and by the! reatest good fortune, must be fresh ineveryone's mind. But apart from the number of able men who we fled from Manchuri of those men is beyond compute. When T think of this my heart is}
An Old Friendship, a person of little import. ance. My virtue is not sufficient to he an example for the people and my experience insufficient for the office I hold. 'These men were my friends of many years' standing and that our intimacy should have ended thus fills me with confusion. But] the burden. of office rests on my shoulders. There were amongst the ancients men who sacrificed their! sons for the public good, how much more should one sacrifice his friends for the same cause? And was there not the revolt of Kuo Sung-ling, as 'a warning, staring me in the fact? Was it not better to suffer the pain of executing one's friends rather} than plunge the people into misery? That T was not able, before taking {o control the situation, for which reason a struggle for power is likely to take place between opposing: factions, possibly resulting in disturbances endangering the peace Manchuria.—Reuter, this regrettable step, to consult with and get instructions from, the] Chairman of the Government Council, was due to dire necessity. For, the time things had reached Crisis, The situation was as though a weight of thirty thousand catties suspended by a_ hair, over heads. Mad U hesitated there clit have been a deplorable upsase explain this situation indidly to the government and best it to make allowance for the cir cumstances in which T ws ing Be Satisfied! satisfied with this there is no definite charge set forth. If the crimes of the two Generals were ax flagrant as stated, there! should have been no difficulty in bringing them to an open trial. If, there was danger that their soldiers: would revolt, because of the leaders! being brought to book, the actual (reasonable acts should now be made known to the country. Otherwise} these executions are a stain on those responsible for them which pious platitudes do nothing to remove.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.