New Delhi, Mar. 19.
A. Bill introduced by an Indian member of the Legislative Assembly in 1927 to prevent child marriages has been amended by a committee so that it now Applies to child marriages among all classes of the community, the object being, not to declare such marriages not valid but to restrain them by punishing the participants. The minimum age for boys is fixed at 18 and that of girls at 14. The penalties are simple imprisonment for a month or a fine of 1,000 rupees, or both.—Reater.
London, Mar. 19.
In the House of Commons to-day, replying to a request made by Commander the Hon. J. M, Kenworthy (Conservative: Holi, Gentral div.) for information regarding the -present military and political situation in China, the Foreign Secretary, Sir Austen Chamberlain, reviewed' the political developments, which had followed the meeting of the Kuomintang at Nanking carly in February.
The situation in mid-China, the Foreign Secretary declared, ' continued to be very unsettled. ' There was no sign of a healing of th breach between Wahan and Nanking and the proposal to organize from Hopeh and Human fourth unit for the Northern campaign under General Tan Yen-kai had had to be abandoned, The British Consul-
General at Hankow reported that Nanking appeared to have abandoned hopes of enlisting the support of Hunan and Hupeh, The same official had reported a serious communist rising in Hunan, where a regiment of General Chen Chiei troops which had been sent to suppress the movement had joined the insurgents, It was feared that General Chen Chien's other troops were equally unreliable, The report stated that Changsha was a hot-bed of communists. Hankow was also badly infected' and, despite almost daily raids and executions, the duthorities did not feel secure. Almost complete anarchy prevailed in the country districts of Hunan, added Sir Austen.
The renewed campaign against the North opened on March 15 with combined offensive by Generalissimo Chiang, Kai-shek, Marshal Feng Vu-hsiang and General Yen Hsi-shan, but each commander apparently was waiting for his allies to strike the first blow.
The Foreign Secretary, in conclusion, informed the House that report had just been received which said that the Northern forces had severely defeated Marshal Feng
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.