CO129-451 - Public Offices - 1918 — Page 584

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topy.

1200643)

No. 459.

BRITISH LEGATION 0163580

PEKING. RECO

BEGO 12 DEC 18 October 9th, 1918.

Sir:-

With reference to my despatch No. 436 of the 22nd ultimo, I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a des- patch from His Majesty's Consul at Amoy giving fuller part1- culars of the recent fighting in his district.

A few days after Mr. Tours had written his despatch the Tuchun left Amoy for Foochow on board the cruiser Chao Ho. This was followed about a week later by a severe defeat inflicted on the Southern troops by a brigade of Northerners under General Chong Ts Bing, an officer formerly stationed at the Arsenal at Shanghai. The Southerners, who are repor- ted to have left three thousand dead upon the field fell back hastily on Changchowiu, leaving the road to Amoy clear

to the Northern forces. The veteran Admiral Sah, who is a Fukienese, has been despatched from Peking to take up the post of Chief of the Volunteer Organisation of his province,

which may possibly be a prelude to his promotion as Governor. The appointment appears to have been met with approval 10-

cally.

Meanwhile the Canton Government are still proving irre- concilable. I have the honour to enclose herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Consul General at Canton forward- ing translation of the latest pronouncement of the Military Government against Peking, in which they take the opportuni- ty to repudiate the rumour that the South was prepared to re- cognise the election of Hsu Shih Ch'ang to the Presidency.

I have etc.,

he Right Honourable

A. J. Balfour 0.M., M.P..

&C..

&C.

&c.

Foreign Office.

(SD) J. N. Jordan.