Chengtu's Military Mandarins at Loggerheads: Money more Powerful than War From Our Own Correspondent, Chengtu, Sze., Feb. 16.
The Chinese New Year has not brought happiness for everybody this year. We rather speculated on trouble, but fully expected that the New Year would pass by in peace. For many years our political agitators, who, like the poor, are always with us, have timed their operations to come off well ahead or well after the New Year. This year, some-one threw the monkey-wrench into the machinery at the wrong time. It is rather too bad that such a mistake was made, because it quite upset all the plans of the populace for a dignified and happy New Year.
It is rather surmised that Gen. Chen Kwue-dong is the man who threw the monkey-wrench this time, Gen. Chen had a comfortable little billet down at Juechang, on the big road. He felt that his command was a bit too small for efficient service, and cast envious eyes on a Brigade under Brig.-Gen. Wu that looked just what he wanted to make his division into a real fighting unit. He made overtures to just at way. sequently, Gen.
Brigadier, te did not see it Chen started things on his' own. ate Brigadier called for help, and ur doughty Commander-in-Chief, Liu I-chin. responded with alacrity, and despatched Brig.-Gen. Lan from the capital with two twen of soldiers. Gen. Chen soon packed up, apologized for his hastiness, and requested a little travelling money and leave so that he might visit America and study. Liu I-chin was quick to forgive, and promptly wired to Gen. Den Chicheo in Chungking, so we are told, to pay out two wan of silver at once to Gen. Chen and allow him to proceed on leave. However, Gen, Den saw fit to disobey his Chief, although he knew he mi: subly lose his job. pet por THE TAKING OFF OF COATS, Gen. Den succeeded in convincing, Gen. Chen that this was no tune' to go on leave, in fact the time
move on the capital. Imagine, seemed bronbels for a forward therefore, the consternation of the Commander-in-Chief when he re ceived another wire from: Gen. kin; Chen stating that he was not gain, on leave just yet, but might take little jaunt to the capital and that the Commander-in-Chief had better be prepared for him and be ready for a real display of fireworks. Of course, it was evident that Chen was not playing a lone hand, be cause he had never before shown such high courage and daring. Gen. Lai sat on the fence at Lucho and Gen. Dan Meng-hsin did likewise at Sueling. so Liu I-chin was left only
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.