CO129-501-5 Chinese situation- Recognition of Canton Government 22-7-1927 - 28-9-1927 — Page 25

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as honorary president and General Hu as chairman.

On the 23rd May Marshal T'ang died and thus one

of the chief War Lords of China was finally

eliminated. Soon afterwards on the 14th June,

Generals Hu, Chang and Li conspired against

General Lung and seized him in his private residence at Yunnan-fu, where he was kept as a prisoner.

Thus there remain three Generals as rivals for

the power of the sword and of the purse in Yunnan. Their relations to the Kuo-min-tang are ill-defined,

but General Hu is believed to be somewhat "red"

in his opinions. Doubtless the Board of Deputies will in due course be dominated by one or other of the three generals who are still in the running

for the tuchunate of Yunnan.

iv. Little news comes from the province of Kueichou which in the days of the Manchu Empire was combined with the province of Yunnan under one Viceroy. There never have been any foreign consuls stationed in Kueichou and the province has now been evacuated by foreigners. It is a rugged, impoverish- ed and isolated region, and who now controls its political fortunes I do not know.

V. The wealthy, but remote, province of Su-ch'uan has also been evacuated by foreigners, and the British consulates at Ch'eng-tu and Chung- king are at present closed. It is, therefore, impossible to get any authentic information. But until recently this province was being fought for by numerous petty War Lords, chief among whom was General Yang Sen, who became notorious in the

Wan-hsien