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participate in the welcome to Wong on the latter's return to
Canton the other day. Chang's present position is exceedingly
weak; he is surrounded on all sides by unfriendly troops, and
his defeat is only a question of time.
Tse Ying-pak, though not quite a communist, is a "Leftist" and a sympathiser of labour. Chan Kung-pok, who is in charge
of the Bureau of Civil Administration, is in no way chang Fat-
fui's man.
It so happened that thang Fat-fui and he both wanted power and position, and therefore became allies in order to
attain their ends. Li Chai-sum expresses the view that they will disagree, and separate from each other in two months.
Jong Shiu-hung has captured nearly 8,000 rifles from 1p Ting and Ho Lung, and he is now recruiting an additional ten thousand men. Wong's forces,when thus replenished and when added to the other troops friendly to Li Chai-sum, will total about 40,000 strong against the 14,000 under Chang Fat-fui. The elimination of Chang is therefore only a question of time and expediency. The present policy of inactivity and concession on the part of Li Chai-sum may drag on for some time, provided Jong Ching-wei does not return to wongtung. Should he attempt to do so, Li will use armed force to keep him out.
Tang Sang-chi is not likely to intervene to any extent outside Hunan and Hupeh. Should there be a fight between Li Chai-sum and Chang fat-fui, it is believed that Tang would not
come to the latter's rescue.
It may be interesting to know that General Li Ching-lin, who took such a prominent part in the fight between chang Tso- lin and Feng Yu-hsiang two or three years ago, went to Canton recently. He saw Li Chai-sum, and tried to prevail on Li to send troops to join in an expedition against Chang Tso-lin. Li Ching-lin is now under the Nanking Government. Government lent a deaf ear to his importunities, as apart from other considerations, they regard him as a man "with plenty of courage but little thinking power".
The Canton
intd. R.H.K.