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conference to meet at Lushan, a place in the Kiangsi hills not far from Kuling, noted for its College of Literature and its associations with great men of past times. This conference is to consist of two sections: a people's convention, consisting of representatives selected by the Provincial Assemblies and public bodies of all China, and a military convention, representative of China's military leaders. The decisions of the latter are to be subject to the approval of the fornier. The object of the people's convention is to be the formation of a united (lovernment, the determina- tion of its powers and the revision, if deemed necessary, of the present Constitution. Wu P'ei-fu's desire is that the convention should meet forthwith and should appoint the delegates to represent China at the Pacific Conference. The military convention is to take decisions upon the strength of the army, the disbandment of troops and military administration, and it is proposed that it should have the duty of appointing a person to safeguard the national conference while in session and to ensure the carrying out of its decisions, which are declared to be sacred and inviolable.
It cannot yet be said whether this circular telegram. of which I have the honour to enclose translation, will re-establish Wu P'ei-fu's reputation as that of the man destined to remove governing powers in this country from the hands of the military, The scheme is a and to assist in forming a democratic civilian Government. development of that propounded by Wu Pei-fu after the Anfu war of last year and then quashed by Chang Tso-lin and other militarists. Whether it is possible to carry it out now or not depends on whether Wu Pei-fu, the military forces behind him and those who will support him, and the weight of public opinion are sufficient to overcome the keen opposition still existent.
In Shensi, Ch'en Shu-fan evacuated the provincial capital and took refuge with A certain amount of his troops in the south-west of the province, where he still is. guerrilla warfare having taken place, but nothing more, General Yen Hsiang-wen was able to embrace within his sphere of government rather more of the province than his predecessor succeeded in doing. On the 25th August, however, apparently overcome by the difficulty of his position, be committed suicide, and General Feng Yu-hsiang, known to foreigners as “China's Christian general," has been appointed to succeed him.
In Manchuria, General Chang Tso-lin, who had begun to move his troops northwards with a view to recovering Urga for China and himself, decided on the 26th July, in face of the news reaching him from Hankow, to abandon the expedition. Needless to say, he has made no offer to return the considerable sums of money extorted by him from the bankrupt "Government at Peking on the pretence that he was about to invade Mongolia.
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It is too early as yet to say whether Chang Tso-lin's influence has begun definitely to decline. He has recently had troubles with military subordinates in Manchuria, he has been unable to overcome the opposition of the aged military Lieutenant-Governor of the Jehol territory to his exercising within that region the powers given him by Presidential mandate, and now he has seen the rise to a position equal to his own of his opponent Wu P'ei-fu. Events will show whether Wu is able to maintain that position, and to obtain general acceptance for his schemes of civilian government, in which case Chang Tso-lin will have to confine himself in the future to his original satrapy of Manchuria..
(Copies to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Admiral, Yunnan (under Flying Seal to Canton) Hankow (under Flying Seal to Nanking and Shanghai)
I have, &c.
Enclosure in No. 1.
B. ALSTON.
Translation of General Wu P'ei-fu's Circular Telegram.
SINCE the Hunan-Hupei war arose the country has been filled with consterna- tion and excitement, and the hope of unification has been rendered very remote, and all the attention of the friendly Powers has been concentrated upon this country. Alas, our soldiers, who are the guardians of the country and peace, have suddenly become puppets, while the lives and property of the four hundred million people have become pawns in the political game. Who is responsible for all this?
Since confusion was made of the system of law, the North and South have been fighting each other, neither being willing to yield. The North says that if unification
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is effected it must be effected through itself, while the South contends that reforms, if they take place, must proceed according to its ideas. The South accuses the North of having violated the Constitution, and the North accuses the South of creating disorder. While both sides are engaged in mutual recriminations, neither has shown signs of compromise. If the North claims that it alone should have the right to effect unification, its claim appears to be despotic. On the other hand, the Southern contention that reforms should be instituted in accordance with its ideas savours of something arbitrary. While each is claiming that it has the country's interest at heart, the fact is that by representing their own views as those of the people and insisting on their own policies as being best for the country both sides are obstacles to peace. There is now no treasure left, the people are poverty-stricken, and bank- ruptcy is imminent. The Pacific Conference is close at hand, but the measures to be taken towards it have not yet been formulated, and international control stares us in the face. If the people are content to see their country disappear from the earth, I have nothing more to say to them. But if they wish to save their country from its present troubles, it is imperative for the authorities to husband what remains to us. discard their political differences, and give the people and soldiers a chance to exercise their right of self-determination. The people and the soldiers should make a grand resolve to stop all political strife, and devote themselves at once to finding a means of exercising their right of self-determination. They should boldly follow the example set by the thirteen colonies of America and call a national conference at Lushan to clear away dissensions that belong to the past, put a stop to the present fighting, and open an era of reconstruction in the country. But, as the matter is a very important one, it is essential to the success of the convention that certain definite principles of agreement should first be laid down. I therefore take the liberty to suggest the following:-
1. The conference shall be known as the Lushan National Conference, and its object shall be to obtain expression of the nation's sentiments, for which purpose the locality is eminently suitable.
2. The decisions of the conference shall be sacred and inviolable.
3. The conference shall be divided into two sections, one called the people's convention and the other the military convention. The people's convention shall be formed of plenipotentiary representatives elected, three for each province or administrative territory, by the Provincial Assemblies and public bodies conjointly, which shall issue credentials to the persons elected. Mongolia. Tibet. and Chinghai shall also be allowed to send one delegate each. The object of the convention shall be to solve all legal questions, to work out the details for forming a Central Government and the principles of government which it should follow, assign provisionally to the Central and Local Governments their respective powers, and to amend the Provisional Constitution, should this prove necessary, with a view to its use as a basis for fixing of the national form of government.
The military convention shall be composed of the delegates of the army and navy. The military in each province or territory shall be entitled to send three delegates, who shall be given credentials by the commanding military officers of the province or territory in question, but in those provinces where there is an inspector- general the credentials shall be issued by the Inspector-General and the Military Governor conjointly.
There shall be six naval delegates and they shall be elected by the whole navy, their credentials being issued by the commander-in-chief of the fleet. The divisions and brigades under the direct control of the Central Government shall be entitled to send six delegates whose credentials shall be issued by the Minister of War.
The military convention shall discuss such questions as the size, organisation. and distribution of the Chinese army, the disbandment of troops, and regulations governing the employment and discharge of soldiers and officers.
4. The decisions of the military convention must be approved by the people's convention. Should the latter veto a decision, the former may support it by giving reasons, but on a second rejection the proposal must be amended.
5. The military convention shall appoint a person who shall use the national troops to safeguard the dignity of the two conventions and ensure the enforcement of their decisions, but who shall not have the right to interfere with their delibera- tions. The title of this person and his duties shall be determined by the convention, and his tenure of office shall expire on the establishment of a united Government.
6. In view of the world situation, the conference shall be called before the assembling of the Pacific Conference.
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