Evening journal., 1919-01-02
ARMISTICE ENDS
WAR IN China
Peace Conf ,nce Between
North and South is
Under Way
PEKING TROOPS
ARE WITHDRAWN


PEKING, China. Jan. 2.-Peace is in
sight in China, long torn by civil war
between the north and the south.
Hsu shih Chang. newly lnaugurated
president OF the republic, has issued a
peace mandate declaring an armlstice
between the southern rebels and the
North China government troops.
The armistice proclamation orders
the government troops under command
Of the northern generals TO abandon
their lines Of defense and to return
eventually to the provinces to which
they belong. This order is being car
ried out, and dispatches from the'front
announce there has been no resump-
tion OF hostllities.
The Issuance Of President Hsu Shih
Chang's peace mandate is regarded in
Peking as the most important occur
renee in China since the split between
north and south dashed the worlds
hopes for the new Chinese republic,
established by the overthrow Of the
Manchus.
The singing Of the armistice in Eu-
rope left the civil war in China the
most dangerous and perplexing world
ruction, keeping population Of lOO,-
100000 people in a turmoil and main
taining disorganized China as a hotbed
for another world war.
President Hsu utilized the spirit OF
peace in Europe as the inspiration for
his mandate. He considered this the
psychological moment 10 end the civil
strife.
He Is eager TO have a united China
represented at the peace table at Yer
sailles in order that such vexing dues-
lions as the japanese retention OF Tsing-
tao may be strongly argued by China
and settled TO the republics best in
.erests.
1T is hereby ordered" President
Hs's mandate reads, that all troops
operating on the different fronts shall
hereby suspend hOstilties at once and
withdraw themselves therefrom. The
local chief civil and military officials
are hereby ordered 10 take measures TO /
maintain peace and order in the terri
tories evacuated by the troops Local
bandits, or troops defying discipline, /
shall be liable TO immediate extirpa- |
ton.
"The war in Europe has taught us a |
lesson that il Is right and not might |
that one can rely on for final victory. |
The country urgently needs better civil /
administration. Our future foreign !
policy must be such as to win the cor /
dial friendship Of the powers. The will /
Of heaven 10 see peace on earth has /
been revealed by the termination OF /
The European war.
"Szechman and Kuang-tung are prov
inces renowned for their wealth since
days OF yore. But the present in
terneclne strife in these provinces has
left nothing in its wake but ruins OF
farms and homesteads.f
President Hsu was elected on a plat
form calling for an end OF the civil
war, which has dragged on considerably
more than year at positive dead
lock, but steps toward peace were not
expected so promptly.
Plans are now under way for a peace
conference, which President Hsu. fol-
owing his armistice mandate. promised
leaders in long kilograms, urg-3
ng them TO withdraw their troops
without delay
The president has received many tel
grams from the southern leaders sup
PORTING the peace proposal.
The Peking government has sent mil
iary orders Withdrawing the troops at
removing the South Kiangsi
rOOps 90 kanchOw and Chian, and es-
the line 70 which govern
nent troops shall retreat. When
southern troops have similarly with
lrawn. an government soldiers will re- :
urn 10 their home provinces. New re-
ruits will be at once disbanded.
The southern leaders have suggested ]
hat Generals Lu Nungting and Tsen {
lhun-hsuan act as their peace repre- q
N
The Canton, or southern rebel gov a
rnment, has teegraphed President Hsu
pprOvng the detailed plans for the I
disarmament and the peace conference.