Peking, Nov, 22.
A. prominent Chinese official, interviewed by Reuter to-day, dec! that the fears held in game quarters that the fall of Hankow will lead to all the Nationalists combining in a drive against the North are very unlikely to be justified. Most of the Southern leaders and the lesser stars, who only appeared in the firmament in the past few months, had their fortunes to make, hence they were too jealous of to combine for long. He instance the Canton coup d'état which, in his opinion, would lead to war between Kuangsi and Kuang. tung and probably to a split in the entire Kuomintang Party. He also; anticipated war between Hupeh and Hunan shortly, Questioned as regards the likeliocd of the Kuomintang permanently holding the Yungtze Valley, the official emphasised the impossibility. of foretelling the future in China, bhut indicated the possibility of the Fengtien armies being in a position either of dominating the Yangtze oF of coming to terms with the moderate elements among their opponents within a few months. He anticipated the capture by the Fengtien forces of Taiyvanfu within two or three weeks, after which, he declared, Marshal Feng Vu-hsiang's position would become hazardous in Honan and, once he was driven from that province and bottled up in nothing could prevent Fengtien advance along the Yangtze.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.