The Chinese Government has taken prompt action to dear with the unexpected situation caused by the outbreak of mutiny, headed, apparently by General "Chang Hsueh-liang, formerly known as the "Young Marshal." 'The seriousness of the rebel-ion' is Indicated by the fact that General Chiang Kai-shek is actually:
the rebels' power. It now appears that General" Chang Hsueh-liang's troops made their demonstration near Ling-tung where General Chiang Kai-shek was staying and compelled the Generalissimo to proceed. with them (o Sian, the headquarters of the Shensi government, where he is now detained with other high officials, including General Chiang Tso-pin. lately Ambassador at Tokyo, General Chiang Ting-wen, Pacifteation Commissioner for Fukien and General Chen Chi-chen, Pacification Commissioner for the borders of Honan, Hupeh and Shensi. It is also feared that General Chen Cheng. the Vice-'Minister of War, is among the rebels' prisoners. Although General Chang Hsueh-liang's troops" nominally amount to between 20,000 and 30,000, they are scattered over a wide area fand it, is estimated that his act force does not amount to more thats 3,000—at present. The Government has, therefore, every incentive to act promptly for if it con nip the revolt the bud, it may prevent the situation from" becoming formidable. is bad enough since the mutineers are said to have hoisted the Red Flag conformity. with their demand that General Chiang Kai-shek should ce-operate with the Communist forces whose suppression. their leader and they were charged Yo compass. The Government has induced Dr. i. H. Kung, in' spite of his indifferent health, to step into the breach and get a5 President of the Executive 'Yuan. It has also strengthened the Military Affairs Commission of which the Generalissimo isthe Chairman by appointing the Minister of War, General Ho Ying-chin, the Chief-of-Staff, General Chen Chien, the Minister' of the Navy, Admiral Chen Shao-kuan, "and three other high {#2 military ofoers to the standing committee.
Moreover General Feng Yuhsiang, whose influence has steadily recent months, has taken over charge of the Commission In the absence of the Generalissimo, at the "express request of the Government, The direction of military operations for the suppression of the Febellion' has been entrusted General Ho Ying-chin, the command the Meld being given to General Yang Hu-cheng.. Pacification Commissioner of "Shensi. It is also understood " that General Chang Hsueh-liang has been formally re= Heved of all his posts and, by Mandate dated December 12, he is 10 be tried by Court Martial, when aprebended, under the auspices of the Military "Affairs Commission, His troops are to be placed under the same contro! and' discipline when Subdued. These are the focis as col lected from the frst messages record. ting: the new threat 1 the Central Government, whose frank disclosur= of ie trouble gives the best jrourid the belief that it can. command sufficient support to restore authority. Nevertheless, until further. information ig available it is impossible to assess the exact gravity of the outbreak which could easily expand to serious dimensions were to acquire reinforcement from the turbulent elements Jet loose in Shensi by the incursion of the Communists, Signs of fraternization in the last few weeks have given cause for alain but #€ was hoped that General Chiang. Kai-shek's resolute action in appear ing personally on the spot at Sian would check that tendency which, course, has received notable encour-'Agement from the recent reports of the Japanese Government's diplomatic adherence to the so-called "antl-Communist" front. It is greatly to bs regretted that, at a time when the Central Goverament had succeeded establishing solidarity of action and thought by the reunion with the Kwang provinees, its serious labours toward reaching © settlement wit the Japanese should be prejudiced by this Impatient demonstration which, unless reports sadly err, can hardly be "condoned in the interests of China, Whether the mutineers' dis satisfaction arises from some. local grievance or from a conviction that the Government's programme fonomie reform i not being, carled gut in Shensi with the expedit required, cannot yet be ascertained. If other' than pure perversity is to bbe ascribed to their action, the ex. planation may conceivably be fou along those lines, Yet they seem to have committed themselves so deeply their forcible detention of the Generalissimo. that even then the position may prove to be exceedingly awkward as goon as the Government has asserted itself.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.