The second account is, that this invasion of Honan is the outcome of 'a secret agreement between Pei-fu and Chang Tso-lin. A fow weeks ago an envoy from the Fengtien General, Chang Ching-huei came to Hankow and paid a specia visit to General Wu at Wis headquarters at Ch'a Chia-teng. It supposed that at this interview Wu made an alliance with Chang, and promised to assist him in an attack: on Honan as soon as the proper moment had arrived.
A third account asserts that the apparent invasion is not a move: ment against Honan at all. Hono has hech for a long time. infested with brigands, and the efforts of the military to put them down have been unavailing. The conditions have been getting worse and worse. and Yoh Wei-chun has made many appeals to Generals Wu Pei-fu and Hsiao Yao-nan to send troops. to is assistance and enable to him. to overcome this pest. He has also, it is said, invited Wu Pei-fu come to his old quarters at Loyang and assume charge of the affairs of the Province; he himself, Yoh, being quite willing to retire from his position as Tupan in favour of Wu.
It will be seen that, according! to the first two accounts, the quar-Fel is between the two provinces of Hupeh and Horan, while ae- i cording to the third, there is no carists belli at all between the two provinees. Several reports. ave: that so far there has been fighting, and that the reports of scrapping with K'eo's men between Washengkwan and Hsingyangchow was a mistaken rumour. It is admitted, however, that Yoh's attitude is uncertain, and that there are many possibilities of frietion with Hupeh troops in numbers: actually having passed the provincial boundary. Consequently, the outbreak of hostilities at any moment is not at all unlikely.
Meanwhile, Yoh Wei-chun being threatened upon other sides, quite apart from any danger him from the direction of Hupeh. His troops of the 2nd and ard Kuominchun have been compelled. to retreat from Paotingfu and Tae ming fu in Chibli, From Shantung on the north side, three generals are preparing to" invade Honan, viz. Chin Yuin-Ao, Wang Wei-wei and Tien Wei-Ch'in, In Shensi on the west, Liu Chen-hwa and Wu Hsin-tien have already expelled the Kuominchun, His own Kuominchun troops in the west of the province have revolted—and formed themselves into a "self governing army." In fact, Yoh beset with enemies on all sides.
Later news states that the two Shensi generals, Wang Chen and Chao Tinmg-hwa' have already me vaded western Honan. They have formed a "Red Spear Society," and with several tens of thousands of men they have over-run the western part of the province, taken Loyang and Yencheng, and ddstroyed the railways in the western half of the province,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.