In connexion with the activities} of this general, three commanders of the gunboat Hai Ching appeared before the Kowloon: police ith applied for the restoration of the arms and ammunition from the gunboat, now in the custody of the police, Each claimed to be the duly gazetted commander of the Hai Ching, on orders from Commander-in-Chief Chen Chiang-ming, who asked ther to make ready for a naval campaign, against. Canton. The authorities were not convinced and ignored their authority or commission, inasmuch as the Canton Government also is requesting the return of the gunboat. Formerly, it belonged to al subordinate general of Chen who was holding out in Hai Nan Island, but he was driven out by General Li the present military chief} in Canton, and Chen's men ordered the gunboate to steam to Hongkong; where she has been for the past ten tionths. She was disarmed by the police.
The Hongkong Government st undecided which party is the rightful] owner of the gunboat, but, in the present good feeling between Hongkong and Canton, it seems most likely the gunboat will returned to Canton, which is the de facto regime in South China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.