CO129-493 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1926 [6-8] — Page 116

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The outcome is still in doubt; but whether either or both of,

that these War Lords eventually occupy Peking, it is fairly certain/ they will not thereby extend their control over any region which they do not already dominate as War Lords. The mere fact that they own Peking will not of itself gain for them the allegiance of Marshal Sun Ch'uan-fang or General Cheung Kai-shek. It might even result in bringing Marshal Sun and General Cheung closer together, if the two northern War Lords, when possessed of Peking, attempt to exert authority over Shanghai and

Canton.

15.

There remain to be considered the provinces of Shensi, Kansu, Ssuchuan and Yunnan. Under the Manchu dynasty

the two former constituted the Shen-kan viceroyalty and were

subject to one administrative control. I have no reliable

information concerning present donditions in these two provinces:

but I am told that, although part of Shensi may perhaps recognize

the authority of Marshal Wu P'ei-fu,the greater portion of it

and the whole of Kansu province are under Bolshevik influence

and dominated by the Kuo-min-chun, i.e. presumably by Marshal

Feng Yu-hsiang, who is, I believe, now in Moscow, and who will I suppose when he is strong enough make another bid for the

capture of Peking.

16.

As regards Saachuan politics, the most recent information I have seen is contained in a despatch from ur. J.B.Affleck, His Majesty's Consul General at Chengtu, dated 18th November,1925, and attressed to His Majesty's Minister at Peking. In it he reported that six Tupans were endeavouring to settle their spheres of influence in the province: that local Chinese merchants viewed the future with the utmost pessimism: that things go from bad to worse and that, "until the province has been unified under one Tupen and the numerous military establish- ments cut down, there does not seem to be any hope of improvement This magnificent province is, therefore, distracted by its own civil wars and is not at present affiliated to any one of the

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