New-York tribune., 1922-05-04
Wu Is Reported
Killed inHeayy
Artillery Clash
Ticntsin Declares Chang Has
Rewarded Troops With
Half Million Dollars and
Ordered General Attack
Picking Dispatches Differ
Assert Chill Leader Is in
Personal Command of
Fighting Near Machang

TIENTSIN, China, May (By The
Associated Prcssl The followers OF
Chang Tso.in declare that General
WI Peifu WAS killed by artillery fire
to-day. II is reported that General
Chang rewarded his troops with half n
million dollars and ordered general
attack Immediately.
PEKING, May (By The Associated
press). The Chinese officials here
have received Il telegram from the
headquarters of Chang Tsoin at Ticn-
tsin saying that General WI Pei-Fu
was killed in action near Machang.
The followers here of Wu Pci-Fu
said that the report was intended to
demoraize Wa Pei-Fus troops The
( legations here discredited the report
but started an investigation, Their
efforts to obtain confirmation from
Machang thus far have failed.
General Wa was reported from
other sources to have arrived
near Machang, on the railroad south
of Tientsin, TO take personal command
OF the operations against the troops Of
Chang Tso-hn on that section Of the
battlefront.
Late reports are to the effect that
| Chang Tso-lin is heavily reinforcing
his troops in that region with mer Of
all arms and the indications are that
Alacharg soon Will be the center cf
intense fighting. Artillery dUeis already
have commenced over a wide front
General WI, IL he actually takes COM
mand Sthere. will have facing him the
twenty-five yearoId son Of Chang Tso-
lin.
Big Gun Ammunition Low
Foreign military observers with the
Chilli forcos report that Wa Pe-fu
recently has been directing the opera
tlons at Changsintien in an endeavor
70 get good results out Of General
Tsao Kun's poor troops, pending the
arrival Of General Fcns Yut-song's
forces. which began TO reach Paoting-
fu, on the railway south OF Pekng,
Tuesday. The reports arc that Wu
Pei-fu's own troops have not partici-
pated in the fighting at Changsintien.
The heavy bombardment that has
been in progress at various points has
depleted the stores Of big gun nmmun-
with machine guns and rifles. At some
places there has been a lul in tho
battle.
On the middle Of the front the troops
Of Chang Tso-lin have recaptured
kuan. Wounded men from that region
! say the fighting was heavy during tho
last few DAYS, often at close quarters
The tide of battle was continually
changing until the arrival of Changs
relnforcements turned the scales
10000 Manchurians Landed
dispatch received hero from lien
| tsln says roinforcements for Chang's
army near Machang detraned midway
between Peking and Machang and
marched southwark toward the Hun
River, where fighting took place on
the western bank Of the stream. The
Cabinet here announces that it has
received message from the Govcrncr
Of Shantung saying that 10000 Man
churian soldiers had landed in Shan
tung, having been transported from
Manchuria by sea
Admiral Joseph Strauss. commander
OF the American Asatic feet, accom-
panied by the naval attaches, visited
the front in the foothills west Of Pc
King to-day The artillery fire was
observable a few miles to the south
ward, Columns Of smoke we're seen
rising from the town OF Changsintien
in consequence of All airplane BON
bardment there this morning
Trans of camels were seen carving
munitions across the river. Evidence
observed of the five days Of fighting
were the carrying off the field Of
wounded and the burying Of the dead.
The observers noted the carcasses of
camels, with cannon strapped to their
sides having been killed while convey
ing the guns TO the front.