Peiping. Mar. 24.
Despite the repeated official reports of victories of the Government forces, the Communists in Shans! steadily are spreading eastwards. It appears, however, that they have broken up into smaller units of from 600 to 1,000. They have crossed the Taiyuanfu and Yellow River railway at three places—Linshih, 100 miles; Chiehslu, 75; and Pingyao, 60 miles from Talyuanfu—and have been attacking Suchow, less than 25 miles south of the capital.
According to a foreigner just returned from Shansi, no fighting has taken place, the Shans! troops being content to watch the Reds harassing. the surrounding country from the walls of the cities they are garrison Ing. There has been no real attempt to undertake regular operations in the field against them. Tt is said the moral of these Shatsi troops is bad land they are quite unreliable, owing to the usual trouble of arrears of ay, It 1s also said that one of the main reasons for the rapid advance lot the Reds 1s the general discontent Jamong the peasantry against the present regime, owing to excessive taxation.
Troops Moving Up Government forces, other than 'Shansi troops, are pouring into the province, but' whether they will be more successful remains to: be seen. Two divisions of Gen. Shang Chen's 32nd "Army are moving up the Tal-[yuan tu and Shihchiachuang line, and }2000 "already have reached Taiku. [They are well disciplined and proerly equipped, so that perhaps that Important line of communication secure. The 2nd (Central Govern-Jment) Division has advanced into [Shansi from the south, from Tung-nan and its advance-guards are reported to have arrived: at Chichsien. The 25th (Central Government) Division is advancing into the province from the Chisotso (Peking Syndicate Mines) railway, while division of Honan troops under Liu Che has Jcrossed the eastern border. The 2nd fand 25th divisions "botfi have good Hoops who formerly were stationed
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.