Evening star., 1926-05-18
CHINESE RETREAT
. REvERSES HISTORY
KuominChun in Leaving Chihli
| Take Route Mongels
Used to Enter.

BY Radio TO The Star and Chicago Daily News
pEkIN[f. China. May lS.-In their
retreat through NankoW pass. the
Nuoninchun reversed Chinese history.
II was through these steep narrow
1cfeleS that the barhariC Mongol
hordes descended upon somnolent
China in the thirteenth century, set
ting up Il MunGul dynasty and ener-
Ei2inG the Chinese. The kuomlnChun
army was the most orderly, best edu-
Gated ana best trained that China has
known.
1t left behind the rich plains of
Chilli and the wealth of Peking, and
headed into the wastes of the north
west where Eeng Yu-hSiang is said to
have planned the colony of soldier
farmers, to wait for the time when
he could again attack.
ONLY the first kuominchun. or ma
tional army, persists. This has been
the nucleus of all the uominchun
forces. 1t was built up around the
WhampoS military academy cadets
and still has 10000 men, but it is
short OF food, funds and ammunition
Second Army Wiped Out.
Tho second army has virtually been
wiped out The third army once had
300, ,OD0 rdGmutiinS in its ranks. but
noW il does not have more than 80,
GOO. and has been merged with the
first The fourth army deserted to
The enemy ana is now with Wa Pei-fu.
The fifth army does not number more
than 3.0Q0.
OF the opposition to WI Pei-fu. APP
proXimately $4,000 men are from
Honan and from the north. Chang
Tso Inns MauChurian forces number
$50. 900. Chang Tsung chang and LII
Ching lin command that portion OF
the allied forces left in the Chihli and
Shantung provinces.
After the campaign in the Autumn
of 1925 their combined forces num-
bered anproximately $4,000. To this
combination may he added the army
Of sun Chuan-fanG at the mouth Of
the Yangtze sun Chuan-fang has
been inactive but he is believed to he
s,vmpathetic toward Chang Tos-lin and
Wa pei-fu ana has about 10000 men.
FINALLY. in the south. the kWangtung
men number 60 600 effeCtiveS. VINO are
allies of the Ku0minChun from Honan.
They are aiming to seize 1Onan ana
Hupeh provinces. Altogether the
Kuominchun j. greatly outnumbered
by the opposition.
Opium is a factor in this war mas
much as sun Chuan-fang in the
Yangtze territory is trying to hold
Shanghai and NankinG and capture
the big receipts from the opium trat-
fic estimated at from $4,000, 900 to
S20.00u.0Q0 a year.
Three arsenals in China are making
arms. The first arsenal, at Hanyang,
near Hank0W, is controled by WI
Pei-fu. The second is in Mukden and
is supervised by Chang Tso-lin. The
third, in Canton, is now developing
on a big scale. Another smaller one
IS in Shanghai.
Most of the artillery consists of
75's, although the Mukdenites
have co guns of twice that diameter.
All Of these shoot only shrapnel and
no high explosive shells. All sides
are getting 3-inch trench mOrtars,
while Mukden has some 6-inCh NOR
tars. This is a favorite weapon Of
the present war
The airplanes are negligible. as the
aViators cannot coordinate the ma
chine guns and the propeller blades.
Poison gas has not gone far beyond
the experimental stage. In small arms
there is Il great diversity. Gradually
the old small arms are displaced by
modern types and machine guns.
Chinese armies have no proper
transport and so impress horses. men
and camels when moving. Motor
trucks are kept at the bases and are
little used. 4 commissariat is lack
ing. The armies are billetted and feed
on the people. There is no sanitary
service.
LCony-Izht 1920. hx Chicago Daily News Coz