67
Enemy
possessed none at all.
Wag movements were known
in every instance to the Cantonese, who on their side
could manoeuvre unseen. No doubt also the moral, if
not the material, effect of the bombs dropped by these
aeroplanes was considerable. Neither should the presence in Canton of Ho Ying-yam as supreme commander
and of his German adviser be overlooked.
9. At the moment when the attack on Canton was
being pressed, the Nanking Government had to face a fresh danger in central and northern China. Early in December one Shek Yau-sam who commanded a body of men
stationed at Pukow received orders to proceed at once to South China to join the garrison of Canton. The His regiment immediately mutinied and some looting followed. That this action was taken in furtherance of a pre- arranged scheme became evident when on the 7th of December General T'ang Sheng-chih issued a manifesto denouncing Chiang Kai-shek and threatened to move his men down the railway to occupy Hankow.
Appended to this manifesto were the signatures of a large number of Military Commanders on the side of Nanking, all or most of whom are reported since to have
Ev en repudiated any connection with the document. General T'ang himself is said to be trying to recant; but at the time of writing the movements on either side are hidden by a smoke screen of propaganda. situation is still obscure; but at the moment it would
The
seem as though General T'ang's declaration was made
prematurely and that he will be unable to secure
support he anticipated.
the
10.