Gen. Pei Feng-hsiang to Shuntehfu jand ordered Gen. Shih to move his forces to the Honan-Shans! border districts whi mn assigned fo him by Nanking: Again Gen. Shih refused to choy and, to avoid further fighting, he and his troops were allowed to remain in the dis-trials where he held sway and the Manchurian forces were withdrawn to districts north of Shuntehfu. During recent months, according to the messages, Gen. Shih's troops frequently invaded the evea. gat risened by the Manchurian forces and disarmed the latter.
Another cause which has prompted Gen. Shih to revolt is the shortage of funds for the payment of Gen. Shih's troops, It is estimated that at present, Gen, Shih has from 50,000 to 60,000 men under his command, part of these having been recruited from the merchant. volun teers and police forees in the various district under his control. " With so fiarge a force, he was compelled to also money among the merchants in the districts under his influence to pay his men and the result was that the magistrates of these districts were frequently called upon to raise money for him. Being un-fable to comply with Gen. Shih's demands, the magistrates of many districts were forced to leave their posts and flee, it is said, It is [stated that failure on the part of Gen. Chiang Kai-shek and Marshal Chang' Hsueh-liang to keep their promises to pay Gen. Shih's troops regularly has compelled the Kuomin chun general to resort to arms.
Subsequently, news of the anti-Chiang "Kai-shek movement Kuangtung reached the north and telegrams were exchanged between Canton and Gen. Shih for the organization of an allied army to fight Nanking, As already reported. these columns, Marshal Feng Yuhsiang recently paid a secret. visit to Shuntehfu to consult Gen. Shih in regard to the Canton question and it_is believed that, as a result, Gen. Shih and. other Kuominchun generals will throw in their lot with Canton.
Gen. Shih, however, did not openly revolt against Nanking and Mukden until June 4 when Mr. Chang Yuan-chi, his secretary-general who Was tone of Marshal Chang Haneh-liang's men, was shot dead by Gen. Shih for, it was alleged, having reported Gen. Shih's plots to Marshal Chang Houeh-liang. Te was said that Mr. Chang, on more than one occasion, sent secret messages to Mukden, reporting on Gen. Shih's designs, This n.|was later discovered by Gen. Shih who invaded the secretary's bedroom. on the night of June 4 and fired at the latter with a pistol, killing him instantaneously. Following this affair, Gen. Shih seized the rolling stock of the Kin-Han Line and despatched secret telegrams to. the other Kuominchun generals, ordering them to mobilize their troops: and to make preparations for war.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.