3
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where he would be able to act as pacificator between the Kwangtung and Kwangsi provinces ; but this plan is, of course, not practicable
unless Marshal Chiang withdraws from political
life for the time being, and in Mr. Chu's
opinion it is not unlikely that this may happen.
4. Mr. Chu tells me that relations between Marshals Chiang Kai-shek and Feng Yu-hsiang are
very strained indeed, and that a conflict between
these two warlords is inevitable before long.
The newspapers recently have been asserting that
Marshal Feng is a sick man, and I have myself heard
rumours to the effect that he is suffering from
cancer of the stomach and is not likely to survive
for more than another year. I put this to Mr. Chu, who scouted the idea and said that Marshal Fêng is
at the present time in very good health. He added that Marshal Feng's views are those of the left wing
of the Kuo-min-tang and that, if he succeeded in
getting rid of Marshal Chiang, he would probably
endeavour to have Mr. Wong Tseng-wai made civil head
of the nationalist administration, whilst himself
retaining the powers of military Commander-in-Chief.
If this were to happen the outlook would be black in-
deed, for a recrudescence of labour troubles, if not
of Communism, would certainly ensue.
5. Mr. Chu was frankly pessimistic about the
immediate future, believing that civil war is likely to continue for some time unless Harshal Chiang is
eliminated.
6.
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