CO129-490 - Public Offices - 1925 — Page 676

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of Wusih, thus locking up sixteen locomotives and three

hundred waggone.

The unex-

When Chi sent his troope towards Nanking it was confi- dently believed that Sun would betray him and that in a very few days he would be driven back in confusion on Shanghai thus once more involving the vast foreign interests centred here in the gravest peril, pected course which events have taken have for the present averted this danger. Sun apparently has made up his mind to support Chi principally, I believe, because Chi has decided in any event to retire from politics and go on a

At the foreign tour leaving Sun master of the situation, present moment there is a lull in the fighting, which will

In the certainly last until well over China New Year. meantime negotiations are on foot but they are wrapped in obscurity and it is useless to attempt to predict their

outcome.

All that can be said with certainty is that

Sun Chuan Fang is now the dominating personality in the struggle and the future peace of the lower Yangtze depends on the extent to which his rivals for power can be

eliminated.

I have, etc.,

(Signed) J.T. Pratt,

Acting Consul-General.