53
- 2 -
over the northern provinces, including Shantung and Honan, and there seems to be no doubt that many look
on him as the "man of destiny", who will succeed
Chiang Kai-shek. Marshal Yên's reputation as an administrator rests firmly on his achievements in
the province of Shansi,
which he governed with signal
success for many years,
of the model Tu-chun. He is a non-party man known to
be out of sympathy with many of the ideals of the
Kuomintang and in particular with the doctrines
and where he earned the title
preached by Wong Tsing-wai and the Reorganization Party.
Marshal Feng Yu-hsiang has now been for some time out
of the limelight. It is said that he is short of both
money and ammunition for his troops and that, unless
he can secure the assistance of Marshal Yen, he is no
longer a formidable opponent.
2. In the south the fighting, which took place in
December, was also followed by a lull. The Cantonese
Navy reached Wuchow on the 19th of December, to find it
deserted by the enemy; and the army under General Ch'an Tsai-t'ong followed shortly afterwards. But General Chan Tsai-t'ong made no serious attempt to get in
touch with the Kwangsi forces. He remained at Wuchow and opened negotiations with General Lui Wun-yim, who prepared for the third time in twelve months to change his coat. Not unnaturally, however, the Cantonese do not appear to have trusted General Lui to the extent of supplying him with money to pay his troops and these to the number of four or five thousand, when
called