Ups and Downs of Battle for Chencho River Warfare: Canton Claims Complete Victory, Releasing Aid for Nanking Fant Our ows Canton, May 29. Canton's breath has been. taker away, so abruptly has the battle in the Kuangsi arena terminated. Yet there can he no doubt on that score; the Ironsides and Kuangstites are definitely through, and will longer try to get the upper hand in the lind" of Wang Shao-hung and Li Chung-jen, But they seem not to be theough aitogcthor at that; they have withdrawn from the local fel, but may playa role still on the national stage.
TI was on May 13 and 14 that victory was attained at Chenchow, rafts and troop boats carry!
Kuangtung infantry sero: river, thie defensive works carried by storm, and the town of Chenchow occupied. Following up that success, without even a slight. pause for rest, the infantry went on that the Sisth Route Army is to return to Nanking to support Chiang shek in his campaign against the Yen-Feng rebels, These rs were the first to) from the front, and the first lot, is due to embark on a transport, the Kienli, which arrived here towards the with a cargo feom Shanghai eral Tam Tao-yuan may also go to Centeal China with all his soldiers.
Tumours are rife—rumours relat ing. w the disposition that will be made of all the Kuangtuns, regiments. In his interview with pressmen, the Commanter-in-chief said that' they would be employed in sweeping the province clear of bandits. But while it is seasonal to suppose that. some few regiments will be on hand to help restore peace? and order in' Kuangtung, it is the consensus of opinion that the local that was always the most obstacle on the road to Considerable progress was made, jut then came a counter-attack, Which momentarily cheeked the Advance. The surface of the river Which the Kuangtung. divisions were Following, was strewn with reeds fand grass, and this matvork ignited, floated down stream and burned several transports while the Koansgtung warriors were being "driven downstream by the eriem Kuelhsien provided a grim struggle, but it was all over in a day, and once a strong force had come up to selnforee the th advance guard, the advance resumed, and it, soon became ap parent that it. war mostly". blu? fon the part of the foeman. 20,000 one time had been holding Kue\- hsien, and while they were there the distri was almost untakable, But now only a thin guard was holding] the lines there, and when resistance to their defence became really detar mined, they got out, going in haste At that point, the breakup came, Two motor launches hai been by. the military. upstream Canton, and steaming down the the officers who had boarded them commandeered countless pa: senger vessels and tow launche: Into a country region & good many miles' removed from Canton the order went forth, and all these boats so taken in charge by the military were sent at once to Wuchow. Tooked as ifn exodus of Kuangtung troops was to take place, and krowing of the defeat in Kueiyuen it was presumed that the removal from Kuangsi was not altogether a matter of choice.
Moreover, on top of the news of disaster up the Nanning way, came the reports of the concentration of enemy forces close to the Kuangtung border on the opposite side of Wu: chow, up nearer Kueilin, They were facing the two border towns of Watlam and Kuengning, To meet and repel these antagonists should they pile into Kuangtung a second time, it was reasoned, General Chen Chi-tang would simply have to bring back most of his soldiers, or Canton that there was some apprehensive again, had been hastily Test the enemy invade Kuangtung
constructed across several streams along the line that an invading army would he sure to follow. The fy field at Shiuhing on the West River was put in shape, and military tel phone lines were installed ta, eonne: Canton with several West and North River towns.
Now, however, it appears that in stopping opposite—Watlam and Kuargning, the Ironsides and Kuungsiites had no intention of centering the other Kuang province. These were concentration points, and when the bulk of the two armies were assembled, a march into Wunay was started. On May 18 an aeroplane, flying along the border, spotted a strong movement, of Ironsides through Wunan joins in the direction of Wupei, GIL Q. must have come to the conclusion that government will not keep out of the war that is now raging in the central part of the Republic. Some say that Chen Chi-tang will remain neutral, but only this morning the Chief-of-Staff of the Eighth Route Headquarters i i Yen and making it clear that Kuangtuns will ly take more than a passive the national arena.
There is a general belief that ap expedition will be sent overland on Is of the northward anid port, will split into two rections at Hangchow, entering Kiangsi by tw routes. Once in Kiangsi these force: undoubtedly will be augmented by the addition of at least part of the communistic bands that are running Rose in the southern part of the [state, a consummation highly to be view.
Aesired—from the rebvit" point Whatever plans are made by the local mi headquarters, assur ance can be given that they will not he put into execution for some days, Tt will take a week or two to bring back most of the troops. At least part of the army will have to be given a rest, weary as it is from constant fighting and marching. And doubtless the Kuangtung, leaders want to make sure that no trickery will be practiced; that. the enemy has not evacuated its homeland only to about face a little later and march down into Kuang tung.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.