"Article I of the regulations governing the organization of the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the National Revolutionary Forces, as formulated and adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang, states that the Nationalist Government, in order to facilitate unity of command during the war period, especially appoints Commander-in-Chief of the National Revolutionary Forces. It is obvious, therefore, that the day of the realization of the object of the war is also the day of the termination of the position and authority of the Commander-in-Chief. In my circular telegram announcing resumption of office in the second month of the current year, (February 1928), 1 also. clearly stated that as soon as the Northern Punitive Expedition is completed I could immediately resign my position in order to atone for my mistake in shirking responsibility last year. Such being my sincere intention, I hope the Government will appreciate my view.
"For reasons 1 have briefly stated above, I sincerely request that the Government will release me from my position and duties as Commander-in-Chief of the National Revolutionary Fores and also allow me to resign from the Chairmanship of the Military Council; the command of all Armies under me to be restored to their respective Commanders and, hereafter, to unify command and fx responsibility, all General Chiang Kai-shek has resigned as Commander-in-Chief of the Nationalist Armies and as Chairman of the Military Council. He has not resigned as Chairman of the Central Executive Con mittee, the supreme governmental and political organ of the Nationalist Government. In a word, eliminates himself from the militar' scene, although he retains civilian offices. The resignation has not, of course, been accepted yet and wilt not be accepted at the leetings of the Political and Mili tary Councils and the Central Executive Committee during the next few days; but there is no General Chiang to political Jife last November for the specific purpose of: conducting the Northern Expedition, Theoretical-Jy, it can be suggested that the Northern Expedition has now been completed and that therefore Gen-Chiang is entitled to retire from military affairs, his res ponsblity in the matter' being over. But the nero retirement of Marshal Chang Tso-lin to Manchuria does not fulfil the requirement of a com= pleted Northern Expedition, king is in the hands of General Yen HisisHan, it is true; but Tientsin has-not yet been occupied and there are northern troops south of the Yellow River in Shantung, Surely, the Northern Expedition cannot be regarded as finished until some provision has been made for the unled Northern armies and the unplaced Southern arm'cx, General Chiang's resignation, then, cannot lee attributed to the' conipletion of the Northern Expedition, for it has not been completed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.