CO129-520-1 Chinese situations 20-12-1929 - 27-1-1931 — Page 53

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SECRET:

Copy to:-

Canton No.11.

Peking No. 12.

Singapore.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG. 27 th January, 1930.

52

y

Ly Lord,

In continuation of my secret despatch of

the 20th December, 1929, 1 have the honour to inform

Your Lordship that, following the failure both of the

attack on Canton in the south and of the rebellion of

T'ang Sheng-chih in the north, the civil war has

languished and intrigue has once more taken the place

of warfare in the field. The attempt of T'ang

Sheng-chih came came to grief, because the support,

which he expected, did not materialize. Marshal

Yên Hsi-shan in particular, so far from offering assistance, appears to have lent his support to the

Central Government and to have put pressure on Tang

to oblige him to relinquish his command and to leave

the scene of his activities. Recent events have

undoubtedly served to strengthen Harshal Yen's position

and, in the opinion of many Chinese, he is now at the

head of the most powerful of the groups remaining

outside the direct control of Nanking. He is

credited with the intention of spreading his influence

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LORD PALSFIELD,

Stc.

c.

c.

over