Shanghai, May 21.
liting is continuing between the rival forees under Gens, Lin Wen-hui and Teng Hsi-hue in spite lof the efforts at mediation made by. the various neutral warlords. of, Suechuen, according to telegraphic messages' received here.
The troops of Gen. Teng, whom a Gen, "Liv hoped. to dislodge from their present positions by launching 4 general offensive against. them recently, are putting up "stubborn "The result is that Gen, troops have 30 far not been able to occupy the two distri of Changning and Kwanghsien.
'At present, Gen, Teng's. troops are. strongly entrenched along. the Pitiag River, Four" brigades" have' been brought the field by Gen. Liu in. an effort to crush "the resistance of his rival's forces: Szechuen messages received here' report.
While Gon Liu and Teng are engaged in civil war, the Central ment has received n petition signed by over" 2,000,000 people northern' Szechuoa. demanding. che immediate dismissal of Gen. Tien [Sung-yao, commander of the 24th Army, who is engaged in the task fighting against the Communist bandits and who recently threaten. ed to bring about a cessation of the Lig-teng hostilities by fore.
The Szechuen. petitioners charge Gen, Tien, with having: been collecting exorbitant taxes from the people. "Originally, the petition points out, the regular government and Foeat taxes the people had to pay only totalled $50,000, but - since Gen, Tion's troops tonk over the 28]
jets in northern Szechuen, the taxations in that region have. injereased to more than thirty times the regular tax.
The petitioners continue that Gen. Tien is a rich man, worth about $30,000,000, which came on-tirely from the exactions he imposed on the people, and that there is no other way' to believe their suf-forings except through the removal of Gon. Tien and his troops from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.