CO129-512-1 Political situation in China- and Canton 30-11-1928 - 23-5-1929 — Page 141

- 3 -

139

that these two provinces will have to come direct

under the Nanking Government in the matter of army

disbandment and reorganisation, and will have no

voice of their own. In other words, Li Chai-sum

has no power in the reorganisation of his own armies

in Kwongtung and Kwongsi. Thus it can be seen that

Li Chai-sum is shorn of all real powers, militarily

and politically, and what is left to him is merely

the post of Chief of General Staff at Nanking.

They

With the elimination of Li Chai-sum in this

way, the position of his three chief lieutenants who

command comparatively large armies in the North, East

and West of Kwongtung, would become precarious.

would probably, in order to strengthen their own

positions, concentrate at chosen points their forces

which are at present scattered in various parts of the

province, being engaged in the suppression of

banditry. The outcome would be that peace and good

order in the province would be disturbed: bandits

would come out from underground, as it were,

particularly at Namhung where communistic troops under

Chu and Mao will create yet greater trouble. It is

believed that Chiang Kai-shek has purposely driven

these undesirable troops to the Kwongtung border so

that they could create trouble in the province.

The suppressed labour unions, the peasants

and the students are sure to come to the fore agai n

as soon as the communists have an opportunity to stir

them up; and in that case Chan Ming-shu, even if he would not become a tool of the communists, would not

have the ability to maintain peace and order in the

province.

Fukien