CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924 — Page 484

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also been broken up. All public traffic has been at a stand- still since the 29th of last month and, when opportunity does come to resume it, it will be several months before we can expect to get engines into good enough order to run the normal express train service,

I told Sun that the line had been reduced to chaos because of the interference and arrogance of ignorant subordinate officers and that if he had left the working in the hands of the Railway Staff he would have got far more efficient transport service without crippling of the line. He said then that he would appoint me "Director of Military Train Bureau" and has

I replied sent me a very imposing document to this effect. that I would control the working of trains as Engineer-in-Chief through the ordinary departmental channels but would not take over any Military Office or department. As a matter of fact, any such order by Sun is useless because the numberless Generals and subordinate Commanders pay no attention whatever to orders, and as soon as a train leaves the station it is liable to be retained or sent back or pushed on as seems expedient to any group of soldiers at a stopping station.

I see no prospect now of any military decision being arrived at. As long as Sun can keep and pay the Yunnanese troops I do not think Chen has any prospect of defeating him, and Tan Yen Kai has just now returned from Hunan with further troops on Sun's side. I heard on many sides at Hongkong, and have also heard here, that Sun was on his last legs, but these rumours are generally due to pro-Chen propaganda, and also express a devout wish on the part of the Cantonese, with all parties of whom Sun has now lost favour.