Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-01
Destiny of China in Balance
as Northerners Prepare for
Southern Invasion.
EXODUS OF FOREIGNERS
IN INTERIOR CONTINUES
Peking Gusts British Customs In
spector Following Protest
Against Shanghai Forces.

BY the Associated Press
PEKING. February 1.-The Peking
or Central government of China, more
or less overshadowed in recent weeks
by developments in Cantonese terri
tory, returned to the spotlight of the
Chinese situation today.
Upon the heels of a note to the
British government requesting that
armed forces not be landed in Shang-
hal the Peking authorities summarily
dismissed Sir Francis Aglen. British
inspector general of Chinese maritime
customs, for his refusal to collect sur
taxes recently decreed by the govern
ment.
At the same time, as a purely do
meStic issue, the Northerners, as well
as the Cantonese, concentrated their
activities in preparation for what
promises to be one of the outstanding
military struggles of the present civil
war. The campaign is intended by
both sides to decide whether the Can
tonese or Nationalists will retain the
territory they won when the cam
paign they began less than a year
ago gave them nearly half of China,
or whether the Northerners shall
drive back their Southern foes and
again become sole masters of the
nation.
Foreign Exodus Continues.
In the meantime the exodus of for
eigners from the interior of China
continued in full swing in anticipa-
ton of the coming clash.
The rich YangtSe River basin is the
first objective of the Northerners, and
Ior nj It-hn la Pri%ig
was seized a month ago during vio-
lent anti-foreign rioting, is the focal
point of the campaign.
While the Nationalists concentrated
their army in Hankow and other
points along the Yangtse, Marshal WI
Pei Flu, one of the ablest miIitarists in
China, was mobiizing his forces in the
North. WI recently was taken into
the alliance of Northern war lords
after crushing the revolt which broke
out in his army when he lost Han
kow and the control of Central China
to the Cantonese last Summer
1t is expected that Wu will be Joined
in the drive on the Southerners by
Gen. Chang Hsueh-Liang, son of
Chang Tso-Lin, the predominant fig
ure in the Peking government.
Disagree on Surtaxes.
In removing Sir Francis as inspec.
tor general, the central government
took another step in it's fight to at
tain tariff autonomy. The action fol-
lowed note of the previous day, in
which Sir Francis was reminded that
he was an appointee of the Chinese
government and must carry out its
orders. Sir Francis and the govern
ment disagreed upon the surtaxes of
212 per cent on ordinary imports and
per cent on luxuries agreed upon at
the Washington conference in 1922.
The mandate removing Sir Francis
stated that there was to be no change
in the status of foreign loans. indem-
mites or the domestic loan service. A
ii. +. Edwards, chief secretary of the
maritime customs, was appointed act
ing inspector general
The note to the British government
protesting the landing of armed forces
at Shanghai said that such a large
force as the approximately 10000 men
the British propose to station there
was unnecessary and might cause
unforeseen complications for which
the Chinese government could not be
responsible"
Washington Pact Cited.
The note protesting the British mill.
tary movement, issued by V K. Well
lngton Koo, foreign minister of the
Peklng government, declared the dis
patch of additional naval and military
forces to China is contrary to the
spirit of the League of Nations cove
nant."
He further declared the expedition
was contrary to a resolution adopted
by the Washington conference, in
which the powers agreed to respect
Chtna's sovereignty and withdraw all
troops stationed In China not in con-