Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-01
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BATTLE FOR PEK|N
Part Of Change Force Retreats
After Or. Sun Lends
His Army
N ARTIAL LAW IN CITY
BY The Associated Press

Pehln. May 1.-The battle for IL,
possession Of Pekin was still continu
ing today, with the advantage appar.
emily going to the forces Of General WI
Pei. Flu. driving toward the capital from
the south. Advices from the center o,
the fighting, twelve miles southwest OI
the city. were that General WI wa,
forcing the soldiers Of General Chanl
Tso- lin from Changsintien. and that
the tide Of battle was rolling eastward
toward the southern walls Of Pekin.
Artillery firing In the sector south oil
Pekin became more intense toward mid
night. and a small part Of General
Chang Tso- Lin's army retreated towar,
the southwest walls Of Pekin. General
WI Pei.Fu's forces appear to be de-
veloping their hanking movement on
Chsne's right wing, while the latter s
troops were defending the Marco Polo
Bridge across the Hun River command /.
Ing the approach TO Pekin.
Observers reported that Chang had
seven batteries Of three guns each, flr.
ing simultaneously, with trenches over
the hills along the river 800 yariis
apart. General WI has gone to take
| charge Of the drive on PekiB.
Martial law was declared yesterday
| in Pekin.
WI Pei Fu's army this afternoon
| had Srrivrd at u point on the railroad
between Pekin ana Tientsin. The
telegraph staff at the station at Fengtsi
reported that soldiers were approach. /.
ing. Part of WI Pei Fu's army was
reported marching across the country
to attack Chang, south of Teintsin.
General Chang il personally occupy.
ing n special train Mt Chungliangchen,
| midway between Tentsin and Taku.
Traffic between Pekin and the sea con.
sequently has been blocked. The Por-
tuguese Minister here, who is dean Of
! the d. diplomatic corps. filed protest,
asserting that this was violation Of
the 1901 protocol. He said unless the
line was opened Immediately the allies
road. The protocol provides for un-
| interrupted traffic between Pekin aud
Shanhaikuan, which Is the northe.
terminus Of the Great Wall.
Fighting around Pekin has dimin.
ished as result Of the retirement Of
Ching Tso Lin's army from the imme-
diateiy vicinity. Chinese inhabitants
said today the wounded and dead found
outside the walls Of the city indicate
the fierest fighting that had taken place
in recent history.
1t develops today that General Feng
iuh Slang. the Christian general"
who commanded WI Pei Tu's opera
tions in the battle Of Chanysintien, EN-.
plOyed effective tactics. He withdrew
south OF Changsintien for the purpose
Of drawing Chang Tso Inns forces
away from their positions. When they
pursued. the Christian generals SOL
diers turned and delivered heavy fire,
causing 5000 Of Chang TsO Inns
men to scatter into the hills. Fcng
iuh Slang followed up this retreat,
took bridge and crossed the river.
WI Pei Fu's plan is thought to he
to drive the Manchurian general to.
ward Ticntsin.
Three Chinese cruisers are reported
TO have arrived of Shanhaikuan, aim
ing to cut off Chang TsO' Lin's rear.
watching events closely. A French gun.
boat and a British gunboat have ar.
rived on Baku, and an Italian gunboat
is sxpertcd.
There is at present no such thing
as united China, nor even Il united
north Or south China. The entire na.
ton is split int factions. and virtually
each province in turn is divided. Al
though Generals Chang TsO Lin and
WI Pei Flu are both driving on Pekin.
their, armies are at war with each
other. General Chang, who Is the Man.
churian leader, plans to gain control
Of the capital and Oust the President,
Hsu Shih Chang. The latter has ap-
pealed to the Powers for protection,
since great part Of his armed force
has passed through the grea. wall to
join the armies Of one or another rcvO.
lutionist. II he succeeds in tnking the
city. it is likely that Chang will set up
an anti Occidental regime. that is. op-
pose supervision of the Government by
the Western Powers. WI. on the other
hand. leads the reformist element.
DR.. sun, 'cad"r of the Canton Gov
crnment and President Of the South
China Republic. has announced that he
will support General Chang. He had
previously informed the American Le-
CATION that an alliance would not take
place. His forces are likely to be
augmenting these.
London. May 1.-lBy 4. PD--
Great Britain, France and Holland
are expected To follow the example of
the United States in sending marines
to re-enforce it's legation guard in Pekin.
according to the Daily Telegraph's Dip
lomatic correspondent He adds that,
should the situation become dangerous,
further cOntingents might be drawn
from Hongkong. French Indo. China
and the Dutch East Indies.
An attempt to aSSassinate General
WI Pei-fu, leader,of the Central China
forces. was made last Saturday, saws
Pekin dispatch 10 the Evening News
today. The report has not been con-
tirmed. The general was said TO have
been slightly wounded. and his assail.
ant was captured and executed.
SEEK TRACES OF POISON
IN MURDERED GIRL & ROnY