Tientsin, Jan, 31.
'The Kuonuinchun troops stati the district of Taku on the 2vth 'a warning to the] pil jots' association there to the effect that all vessels, both foreign and Chinese, were forbidden to pass the Taku sual by night and that any ye sssel ignoring this order would be fired upon,- The- troops also called on the Customs House there!
put out the pilot lamps in order to make the passage of vessels by night impossible. The Commissioner of Customs has flatly refused the demand and foreign vessels are still continuing thei passage through the canal by night.
Later.
Following their notification, pro-hitting the passage of both foreign and native vessels through the Talcu Canal by night, the Kuor troops on the goth instant also! enptured the South and Middle Forts where they have Tientsin, Feb. 2.
It is reliably reported that the Shantung armies began a forward movement from Techow and arriv~ ed at Lienwochen yesterday, and the Kuominchun forces have taken up the first defensive position east and west of Tsengchow——Eastern News Agency.
Schemes of Defence for Tientsin Peking, Feb. 2. learnt on good authority that} a joint conference of the Diplomatic Body and Commanders of all foreign garrisons in Titntsin will open on the 4th instant here. Though the agenda to be discussed has not been officially published, it is understood] that the main object is to make arrangements as to the area to be defended by foreign garrisons as well as their schemes of defence, in view of the civil war that hi recently taken place in the region between Peking and Tientsin-
Eastern News Agency. fact that France has inviolable ights over these! forts as a sequel to the Boxer} tr able, it is expected that the! ulation by the Kuominchun troops] of French rights will lead to an portant international issue.
In this connexion, the Consular} Body here held a meeting yester-and decided to file a vigorous} teat with General Sun Yueh, Tupan of Chibli, and at the same time to lodge an official protest the Chinese Government through the Diplomatic Body in Fel sking—Eastern News Agency.
Peking, Jan. 31.
The traffic on the wi line of the Kin-Han Railway was stopped to-day.
It is believed that thi dae to the opening of hostilities! between Marshal Wu Pei-fu's troops: and Honan forces under the command of General Yueh Wei-chun.
—Eastern News Agency.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.