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authorised the dismissal of Lo Tik-ping and the
One of the
nominal reinstatement of the latter.
It is
three suggested scapegoats is Wu Tsung-tok,
acting Chairman of the Wuhan Branch Political
Council, who is also a Military Commander with
perhaps 10,000 men under his command.
thought that the leaders of the Kwangsi group do
not want a conflict; but it is conceivable that
their hands might be forced by their subordinates.
Meanwhile a disquieting report has been received
to the effect that the notorious Fourth Army
see despatch of 10th October, 1928, paragraphs
3a
and has been transferred to Kiangsi in
readiness for an invasion of Kuangtung should
opportunity offer.
2.
Marshal Li Chai-sum, having decided
to attend the Nationalist conference, which is
due to be held at Nanking in the middle of this
month, left Canton by the afternoon train on the
5th March, and arrived at Kowloon the same day.
I invited him to dine with me at Government House
that evening, and he accepted, bringing with him
Mr. Chu Chao-hsin (Commissioner for Foreign
Affairs), Mr. Fung Chuk-man (the Provincial
Treasurer), General Tang Ka-yin (a much trusted
Private Secretary), General Chan Heng-wan
(Commander of the Bogue forts) and Mr. Luk Wan-chau
(to whom you will find several references in my
earlier despatches). Sir Shou-son Chow was also
present.
The conversation at dinner and after
dinner was very friendly, but did not touch at all
on political questions.
3.