That his oppcnenis realize this is evident. A number of small detachments are reported alreuly to be concentrating at -several points downstream. {t further: mere reported by eye-witnesses that the so-called, bandits, who lected Yun Yang and foreed the magistrate to fice, were actually: not nds in the rough, but soldiers of the First Army; that they were f Ily equipped with arms, and that many of then were even in uniform and adorned with the First Army insignia. The* possession of Yun Yang, Wanhsien or any other of the river cities in this section would able the opposition to cut Gen-Yang of entirely from the outside yap hun and his main body near Cheng, a plan witch has previously been—employed by General Lsiung, it is said, with notable success.
Unless this trap is offected—perhaps in any event—a bitter fight 1s imminent. The Szechuan-defenders of ihe province declare that they will annihilate General Yang and his Mupeh te (in ubis connexion, however, the ubiquitous Chinese promise is not an improbabilparticularly should General Yang give these vigorous generals sume.hing of what they want he The Yunnanese assert that they will drive General Yang from uw river, occupy Chung king and Wanhsien before the summer is out, and completely rid themselves of the northern menace. The Yunnanese declare that they will not compromise with General Yang under any' circumstances. Equipped as these opponents of General Yang are, their anathemas carry conviction.
Whether the southern forces have any understanding with Canton is not publicly known, although they have given recent evidence of friendliness. If such an understanding does exist, even
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.