The political situation here remains rather nebulous. The Tuchun, Gen. Lu Hung-tas, appears determined to keep - his" post Tong as possible. "His wife is now on her way from Tientsin to join him; but whether cer Reports say that when this is his wish or-hers, is not
she appears, his secondary wife will have to beat a hurried retreat. Lu has ousted the Civil-Governor, Lin, as he wishes to get the whole of the opium tax into his hands, it is said. So that bur holds ' both offices for the present:. Ma Fuh-hsiang, the well-known Moslem lender, is said to be trying to get the post of Civil Governor. It is hardly likely that he will succeed, as the local prejudice against Moslems is so strong.
Wu Pei-fu, according to reports, fs trying to get his old teacher, Ge! Wu, now in Suchow, to be appointed as Commander of the troops here. Gen, Wu is well spoken of, but the Tuchun is not likely to allow himself lightly to be robbed of power in this way. Wu Pei-fu fs deriding, we hear, quite a number of officers to take charge of various branches of the troops in Kansu. Some people think he wants in this way to get rid of the present Tuchun.
Lu, however, has plenty of money, and will doubtless Tet Wu Pei-fa have a good share of the spoils of his opium grow-1g orgies. Indeed, at present Lu's policy seems to be to give hush terse any way with his plans, money, or presents to all who in-
foreigners included. Medallions and Orders of Merit flow freely. Per-|_ haps they will form a new kind of depreciated currency some day soon.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.