Canton, June 4.
IXTY Kuanglung and Kwangsi commanders, headed by General Chen Chi-tang, commander-in-chief of the Kuangtung Army, and General Li' Chung-jen, commander. \-chief of the} Kwangsi Army, issued a circular telegram to-night supporting] the recent manifesto in which the South-west Executive Committee and the South-west Political Council urged the Central Government to launch a war of resistance against Japan.
_The commanders express their complete readiness to place their armies at the disposal of the South-west Political Council—the highest administrative body in the South-west, They ask the Council to give new designations to their various commands and immediately to issue orders to the troops to march northward to resist the "i The commanders also call on their fellow military men in other parts of China suit and present a common front against the "enemy."
Thousands of civilians marched in procession to the offices of the Southwest Politico! Council this afternoon. to protest against the increase in the strength of the Japanese garrison in North China, 'Urging. the Council to press the demand for war against Japan, the demonstrators' said they would Aaght to the bitter end for their country, matier what would "happen.
"National Salvation Forces"
Canton, June 5.
The Kuangtung Army will bene forth be known as the Ist and. the Kwangsi Army as the 4th Group Army of the Salvation Fore "according to. a mandate issued to-night by the Southwest Political Counc!
The mandate wi in published reply to the appeal in which 60 Kuangtung and. Kwang military chiefs asked for new designations of their commands and for marching orders against the Japanese, The Council commends the com-for their patriotism, and them ty hold themselves in for mobilization. for ese expedition to the nor idership of the two armi remains unchanged. Gen. Chen Chi-{ang remains commander-in-chiot of the Kuanglung forces, and Gon. Li Tsung-Jen commander-in-chief of th Kwangsi troops, with Gen. Pel Chung-hst_as his second-in-command.
Meanwhile press-gangs are already tive in some parts of the city, and the police are tightening-up precautions against possible disorder.
Numbers of persons have' been arrested and are being detained for discussing the political situation in public.
The Public Safety Bureau is hold~ ing an emergency conference to discuss measures for preventing any further increases in food prices, which have already risen by 20 per cent, Almost very household here laying in supplies of rice in antic) tion of a worsening of the crisis The Chinese newspapers report that General Li Tsung-Jen will probably return to Kwangst very shortly. in order to confer with Gon, Pet Chung:
preparation for the "forth coming. expedition," Gen, Chen Chi-tang, they add, Is taking several measures, He intends to reinstate all rolired emeers, attaching them to headquarters, and will also restore the. political departments of the: various armies, 'The currency crisis in Canton is expected to become still worse tomorrow, when the newspapers publish' the South-west Political Council's mandate.
The situation this evening was quiet, but an undercurrent of excitement was evident everywhere:
Contrary to some reports, martial law has not yet been declared, but expected to be proclaimed very soon.—Router,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.