Civil War Again: Communist Menace Develops: The Government's Difficulties: Politics of Shanghai SPECIAL To THE S.C, "On January 3, Dr, C. T. Wang in Shanghai said: in a much stronger position, has weathered many severe political Storms and all attempts by" insubordinate generals to Rout its author Sy have "Geen sucvesstully" quelled "pte North-China Daily reviewing the year 1929, sai for tk ete, wih the Kaifeng zone and were understood to be operating as part of a Jdrive eastward. Desultory high was reported until Northern successes were discernible east of Kaifeng. On June 25, the General who was holding Tsinan for the Government evacuated that place Jwhich was duly occupied the same day by, General Yen Hsi-shan's tro-ps. Thus the situation was hardly favourable to the Government. They were also troubled by the serious development of the Com-fete ly Teutek 2 eae NOE" ec Sears lat ris financial and lets meee dae Bpite of the Nationalist. Gov-strong appeals for unity the fissiparous influences at work in the North gained in vigour ai scope. By the end of fears of the: outbreak of civil war Te was seen that struggle against the Communists in Kuangtung and in' the interior South of the Yangtze would be vendered move embarrass-thg by the continued vagueness of the attitude of the two. Northern Jeaders, Marshal Feng Vu-hsiang and General Yen Hsi-shan, In the early part of March the Kuomin-hun armies were reported to b entering Honan out of which. the jovernment forces had driven them. Puirther difficulties confronted the Chinese "Government in more averbity in the chronic Sino-Russian Stjetion over the Chinese Eastern Railway.
Indictment of Gen. Yen Hsi-shan definite recognition of the possibilities of War came on April 5 when the Governnient formally Sndicted General Yen Hsi-shan and greed his arrest. General Chiang Kai-shek relied' en a loose understanding with Marshal Chang Heueh-liang regarding the neutrality of Manchuria in the event of actually breaking out. of the authorities: munist menace in the South.
The Position Deteriorated On June 14, the Acting Governor of Kuangsi, General Liu Wen-yirn, was assassinated in Canton and two days earlier, the: capture of Tayeh the 'Kiahgsi "Reda" with its plain threat to Hankow occurred. General Chiang Kai-shek detached [certain of his divisions to deal with this req menace but he could not give to this project his full atten: tion, with the result that the posi-ion' on the Yangtze seriously deteriorated. In the first week of JJune foreigners were evacuated wgsha which sas occupy who retired from the 17 when the Government troops re-entered it, On June 16, n still more disconcerting event took place in the North. Mr. Lenox Simpson, under orders from Gen-feral Yen Hsi-shan, took forcible possession of the Tientain Customs and started to administer them on behalf of the Coalition. The Government, protested against Mr. 'Simpson's action but were unable immediately to take effective steps deal with him. Stalemate how-lever was the correct description of the result of the campaign between the North and the Government by' the end of June. General Chi Kai-shek had not been able to di lodge the Kuominchun troops. from their strong position round Kaifeng. The peaceful occupation of Tsinan had not enhanced the ability of the Northern troops. to advance -much further towards Yengchow. On both sides financial problems seem-be pressing; appeals to the Young, Marshal: at Mukden appeared to bear no fruit.
Government Gain Ground shal and his Kuorkinchun troops advanced and Kaifeng and General Yen Hii.shan's forces had entered Shantung, no movement to dislodge them was immediately made, The north section of the Peking-Hankow railway was seized on March 24 cly General Yen Hsi-shan, Moreover, by assuming control of the wireless installation at Peking and amnouneing his intention of seizing the Customs revenue at Tientsin but "undertaking remittance. reauived for the Service of foreign Joans,—tho Northern leader was. drastically burning his boats. On April 3, he formally advised the Foreign' Legations that he had assumed the. post of Commander-Sn. Chief—with Marshal Feng Yuhsiang as his deputy and the Hong-tong refugee, Mr. Wang Ching-vel fas" Chief of the Kuomintang—and ad decided to lead a punitive expedition against General Chiang Kai-shek, "For some weeks the state of civil war was in the main stagnant. Neither side seemed anxious to move. At Nanking in particular there was a reluctance to precipitate a struggle beyond recall. On April 20, however, definite signs of Gen-'Yen Hsi-shan's intention to seize the Tientsin customs became apparent. On May 1, he re-opened the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Peking, thas carrying still further his challenge to Nanking. It was algo" clear that the Tronsides and the Kuangsi Generals in the South were operating against the Kuangtung authorities with the clear idea '4f assisting the Northern Coalition. Kor was it ensy to avoid assuming Sint renewed activity of he Yeem:
armies in Southern Hupeh aod" Kiangsi, implied "similar cooperation.
"Actual hostilities began with the bombing of Chengchow by Govern-sent aeroplanes: in: the early part cet May, Shansi troops: arrived in By the middle of July the strength of the Government's position began to find expression, The Shansi troops required all the ventive of definite military successes to compensate them for inferior equipment and paucity, of funds. The Government were able to utilize ood technical advice and to purchase an abundance of mani tions and equipment, including Aeroplanes and. tanks." These a vantages steadily began to assert a moral influence against. the lack of spectacular success achieved in the field. Meanwhile Mr. Wang Ching wel, who had resisted all blandishments hitherto, suddenly left Hon kong for Peking where he ass in the launching of a new Government under the leadership of General Yen Hsi-shan. This develop ment indicated the measure of the confidence induced by the march of events. General. Chiang Kai-shek, however, did not falter in his con Wietion that the Northern coalition would soon be crushed. His firm announcement. of his determination to wipe out "the Yen and Feng rebels" was made towards the end of July.
The Bandit Menace was followed within a few days by the news of the recapture of Changsha by the Red ban July 28. Looting and burning! ensued and foreigners again were evacuated. Foreignerr had been Jevacuated from. Shasi in the first week of July. The Covernment's position then seemed serious The intention of the Northern rebels was to make from Kaifeng a thrust on Kueiteh and thus place eating ta at the veer of the nfmied operating against Tsinan, General] Chiang Kai-shek waited. He contrive to hold the threat on his left and by transferring troops from there to. the right, he managed after some fighting in South Shantung to make into Tsinan an' entry: which was
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.