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(No. 299.) Sir,
No. 113.
Mr. Alston to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received August 9.)
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a report which has been
Peking, July 25, 1913. addressed to me by the military attaché at His Majesty's Legation respecting the military situation on the Yang-taze.
Enclosure in No. 113.
I have, &c.
B. ALSTON.
(No. 9.)
Report by Major Robertson on the Military Situation on the Yang-tsze.
Hankow, July 21, 1913, SIR WILLIAM WILKINSON, His Majesty's consul-general, Hankow, very kindly arranged for my visiting General Li Yuan Hung at Wuchang, and accompanied me there yesterday. As the present unsettled conditions on the Yang-tsze resemble the revolutionary disturbances of 1911, which necessitated the employment of foreign troops at Hankow, it was important to obtain some data on which to base an opinion on military grounds as to whether such conditions were likely to be repeated. The object of my visit to General Li was therefore to obtain information as to whether disturbances were likely to arise among the Hupei soldiers in the neighbourhood of Wuchang, Hankow, and Hanyang; whether the Northern soldiers now in this district were in a position to suppress any such disturbances; whether danger was to be apprehended from Hunan; and, if so, whether the forces at General Li's disposal were capable of dealing with an invasion of the province by Hunanese troops. Connected with these questions was the prospect of an early success by the Northern troops over the Chiang- hsi forces, which might enable these troops to deal with disturbances in Hupei, or to assist in quelling rebellion at Nanking.
General Li was extremely frank on all these points. He stated that Wuchang, Hankow, and Hanyang, were not in danger from disturbances among the Hupei troops, as these had been distributed in different parts of Hupei, only a few being left at Hanyang, &c. The three Wuhan cities are securely held by reliable troops who are strong enough to deal with any local disturbances. These troops are distributed as follows:-
The following units of the IIIrd Northern Division which had just arrived from Peking:-
In Wuchang
12th Infantry Regiment, 1 squadron 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 1 battalion 3rd Artillery Regiment, the 1st Regiment. Infantry of the "Kiauguan Division quartered in Hupei."
In Hanyang-
The 3rd Regiment Infantry of the "Kiangnan Division quartered in Hupei,"
a regiment of Hupei troops. At Hankow. ——
(Kilometre 10.). A depôt for forwarding troops to Chiang-si, usually From my owu thither. containing Northern troops on their way observation this depôt should be able to contain about 2,000 troops. In addition to these troops, the 2nd Manchurian Mixed Brigade was stated by General Li to be guarding the Peking-Hankow line.
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