Peking, Sept. 12.
The attempted Presidential election to-day was a complete fiasco. No meeting could be opened because of disorder, but the attendance did not exceed 410, which is nearly 30 less than at the last meeting of Parliament.
The Speaker adjourned the session sine dic, but some of the clubs supporting Tsao Kun announce that another attempt will be made on Friday.
It is generally believed that this is an end to the Tsao Kun campaign. Members say that any subsequent: efforts will be worse than futile, and that, knowing it, the leaders are unwilling to spend more money, so that a great southern exodus of M.P.'s is expected.
Members of Parliament say that this means the imminent collapse of the governing Cabinet because the party will be split by violent recriminations among the leaders, each condemning the other for the failure. It is considered that Wu Ching-lien will be tthe first to fall, then Kao Ling-wei, and that this will be followed by a general desertion.
Tsao Kun's only alternatives now are confession of defeat or assumption of a dictatorship. Wu Pei-fu is already pledged to oppose the latter step by force, so the Anfuites see the Chihli collapse prophesied by Tuan Chi-jui on the verge of consummation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.