Northerners well Kquipped if Resolved (0 Fight A Japanese liaison offices, just yeturmed to Shanghai "from the North, lust Friday said that, from nullitaty point of view, the' North-em, defences through Paotingfu could only be regarded as very by reason of the fut that they ran through open country, the other hand, the Northern Army were overwhelmingly powerful Tight and heavy artillery and mae chine-guns, and their advantage. fa this respect more than made up for thw weakness) of their positions, Comparing the men, he was of the opinion that the Northerners in all Fospects were far better equipped than their opponents, and the men of the two divisions under the Smmediate command of Gen. Chang Haueh-liang. (the "Young General") were far superior to the best. the Southern army. Should the Northern command decide to hold heir ground and receive the support (of the best of the army, he felt mute the South never would capture either Tientsin or Pekin, but half-hearted attempt would be of 20 use, Asked what would be Japan's in China or Man. churia, he said that no one outside could say. It way the understanding in the army tnat their only business was to. protect their nationals, and it was pyesum= the same policy would be fol-Jowed even in Manchuria. The assumption was that, although the Japanese would not' interfere be-they would disarm" either 'Northerners or Nationalists, their actions were prejudicial' ty Japanese rights,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.