Peiping, Mar. 29. TER the serious mutinies in the vicinity of Peiping early last winter, the Chinese auxiliary troops, which the Japanese been raising and training in north' China under the name of Pacification army, fell rather into disrepute, and one heard little about their doings for several months.
In recent days, however, stories of their "prowess in the field" have been creeping into the Chinese papers again.
And an interesting article on the organization of these armies recently appeared in a local Japanese newspaper, from which a large part of the following account is taken.
'There are two main armies of Chinese (allied or puppet, whichever view one happens to take) troops in north China' today. One of them, under the control of the Peiping ré- gime, is generally known as the North China Pacification Army, Its Commander-in-Chief is Gen. Chi Hsieh-yuan, who is also head of the Paeifleation Affairs Commission.
The other main group is under the control of Nanking and is known os the Peace and National Salvation Army, with headquarters at Kaifeng sin Honan, and is commanded by Gen. Hu Yuekun, who was formerly a general in, the Northeastern Army.
Nanking), which has-its headquarters Kaifeng has a curious history. Tt Was originally created owing to. the political schemes of Licut.-Gen. Doi-era, who wanted to bring back Marshal Wu Pei-fu into the political life of north China. and for this pur-ose wanted to provide him with a military organization of his own. "He therefore forced the government to tablish a so-called Pacification Com missioner's office at Kaifeng. Gen. Hu Yurkun was sent there to organize an army of a few thousand men, of which Marshal Wu was to assume command, He, however, refused to come in with the Japanese and died von afterwards.
"It has been the prevailing opinion [previously that so-long as the Japan-Jose forces remaining on Chinese terri. tory. China will carry on her war of resistance, but now, due to the changing conditions, I must go further than that—that is' to say, so long as Japanese forces remain on Chinese territory the Chinese army and people will continue to exterminate them," declared General Ho Ying-iching: Chinese Minister of Wer and concurrently Chief of the Chinese (General Staff in a statement today to the press, Reviewing recent fighting in West-Jen Hupeh and Northern Kiangsi; the [War Minister emphasized the part!- cular importance of the Chinese vie-tory on the latter front, which the described as "the most brilliant mill {tary feat of the Chinese Army in the entire Sino-Japanese war."
in a review of the battle of Ichang, General Ho Ying-ching declared that the Japanese employed a compara-{tively small force in their push westward from Ichang, being only three detachments strong, but they were supported by aircraft. artillery, cavalry and engineering units.
The whole battle lasted only six Jdays, during which the Chinese repulsed "the Japanese with an even Smaller force than the latter possessed—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.