"Speculation as to Reasons for Trip Nanking, Feb. 3.
The oficial announcement to-day of General Chiang Kai-shek's departure for Canton carly next week, has been the subject of a good deal of discussion in local political ci cles.
According to the Chairman of the National Government, General Chiang Kai-shek is going South to spect ¢he military situation there. Ie will be recalled that the troops under General Chang Fah-kuei, the so-called "Ironsides,""—combined forces with the Kuangsi rebels and attempted to capture Canton in the later part of November. The Kuangsi rebels, while promising the "Tronsides" to" attack "the Government forces on the western front, deliberately held back their troops. It was the hope of the Kuangsi leaders that both the "Ironsides" and the Government forces would suffer serious losses in their struggle, and that after both sides were crippled in strength, they would be able to march into Cantor land become masters of the a The drive of the "Ironsides" against Canton, however, was repulsed, and the rebel forees" had to retreat westward towards "Kuangsi, bat there are reports here now that the defeated "Ironsides," are planning to launch a new drive against Canton.
In the opinion of the Government leaders, Canton. must be defended at all costs, Not only is the city of commercial and" military im. portance, but as the "birthplace" of the Chinese revolutionary movement, fevis regarded" by many as the origin and centre of China's modern government system. The general belief here is that General Chiang is going to Canton personally to direct military operations " there ayainst the rebels and materially to strengthen the defence forces in the South, There is also a rumour in certain circles that General Chiang is going Hongkong to confer with Mr. Wang Ching-wei, the noted leader of the Left Wing of the Kuomintang. This rumour, however, is being discredited by these closely in touch with politienl affairs. The whereabouts of Mr. Wang. Ching-wei are stil a mystery. Although numerous reports regarding hiv arrival in Hongkong were circulat~ fed some months ago, it is not definitely kown whether or no he has left France. Even those who believe he actually reached Hengong are of the opinion that he left there after the decisive defeat of the "Tronsides Mr. Wang, it will be recalled, was expelled from the Kuomintang' Ata recent meeting of the Central Bxecutive Committee of the Party.
is highly improbable, therefore, according to many observers, that General Chiang's coming trip to Canton can have any connection with a suggested ce-operation be-
3. Te decide upon the the exact. rights of the Manager of the C.E.R. and the general working of the Ril Whether or not the place of the Conference will be changed, from Moscow to a point nearer to China still undecided, but it is presumed that the Soviet Government will insist on the Conference being held in Soviet territory as the 1924 Agreement was held in Chinese. I¢ is hardly likely that Nanking will allow Mukéen to play the chief role in these pourparlers, seeing that many of the questions to be brought. up affect China as a whole. It is possible that Vladivostok will be made the final choice for the Conference as it is conveniently situated for the sending of delegates: from Nanking and only 24 hours from Harbin by express. tween the Right and Left Wings the Kuomintang.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.