ziConflict Considered Inevitable From a Correspondent, Peking, April 19.
It is estimated that Chang Tso-lin will soon have 70,000 of his own troops concentrated at points) along the Peking-Mukden and 3.9, ing-Hankow Railways from the mity of Machang south of Tien-isin to the vicinity west of Peking, while Wu Pei-fu's forces, totalling 50,000, are being concentrated at Paotingfu, Chengchow, and Tehchow.
The forces under Tuan Chi-jui and Chang Hsun are expected to operate in cooperation with Chang Tso lin along the railway westwards from Hsuchowfu, with the hope of piercing the centre of Wu Pei-fu's line. Chang Tso-lin's own forces will operate on the northern front and his crack 27th Division will lead the invasion of the Peking area, thence entraining by the Peking-Hamkow Railway for Paoting-fu, making Peking its base.
It is expected that by the time Chang Tso-lin's forces, now on the way, reach Peking, troops will be moving up the Peking-Hankow Railway. They} are already at Changsintien, 21 kilometres southwest of Peking! with the vanguard's two forces but a short distance apart.
It is how almost certain that, if fighting is inevitable, the outbreak will over simultaneously in the vicinities of Peking and Tehchow.
Meanwhile Chang so-lin is counting upon Sun Yat-sen to attack Wu_Pei-fu on_the south front in the vicinity of Yochow, but recent developments would indicate that Sun Yat-sen's active support cannot be relied upon the 27th division controls Peking, Chang Tso-lin is expected to attempt to force the President to sign a mandate dismissing Wu Peifu, thus actually precipitating warfare if hostilities are not yet begun.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.