Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-02

| continued from First page1
during his tuchunship of kiangsu and
! Chekiang provinces.
! The strength the Shantung army is
| not definitely known, but its leader,
! Gen. Chang ng-Chang, a member
! of the Northern Military Alliance,
who entered Marking 10 days ago.
said that he was bringing 10000 sol
| diers to Suns aid. Since that time
! northern troops have poured steadily
| into the Shanghai area from the
| north via Marking, 210 miles west.
The situation at Sungkiang remains
obscure. Yesterday the Nationalists
| claimed they had captured the city,
| but this could not be confirmed. Lat
est reports regarding the northerners
| had them digging in and strengthen
ing their battery positions, preparing
for determined stand against the
southerners.
| Advance May BE Halted.
| The movement of Shantungese
| troops south was believed by compe-
| tent foreign authorities to have
reached a volume sufficient to stop
| the Cantonese advance on Shanghai.
so far as actual fighting is concerned.
| However, the question has arisen as
| to whether the defenders will be able
| to withstand the bribery and propa-
ganda tactics of the southerners,
! which hitherto have been uniformly
| successful.
The utter collapse of Marshal Sun
has been brought about principally by
| the boring from within" on the part
! of the Cantonese. There has been a
, minimum Of actual fighting since he
started his campaign against the Ma:
tionalists. Other generals have fol-
lowed the step taken by Gen. Meng
! in refusing to fight along with the
!! Shantung army.
! Many of Suns troops are retiring
from Sunkiang. practically leaderless
and broken in morale, but 1t is not be-
| lieved they will be a menace to Shang.
(, hal since the Shantungese are rapidly
| moving toward the front and have ap.
trouble i'm the vicinity Of the foreign
| settlements.
1900 Foreign Troops.
Foreign troops here now total IL 900
| exclusive Of the crews of nearly &c
warships. These are believed to be
strong enough to prevent incursion
in the foreign areas.
/, Up to this time there has been no
| trustworthy evidence of real fighting
! on the Sungkiang front. The National
lists have not appeared in Kiangsu
with any great strength.
! The Cantonese army was believed
to be bringing up reinforcements be.
| fore attacking Sungkiang in earnest
The reGnforcements have to be trans.
| ported over terrain which offers the
greatest difficulties being cut up by
rivers, canals and boys.
Observers believe the Cantonese may
| not make q drive for Shanghai i'm
mediately. and that instead they may
strike for Soochow, a short distance
| west of Sungkiang, through the Grand
Canal, and Marking in an attempt tt
cut the railway on either side of Lake
Taihu and prevent the rear advance
| OF Shantungese troops. Both sides are
moving troops in that direction.
The Nationalist were reported to
have appeared in Huchowfu, on the
| southern shore Of the lake.
| New Strike in Prospect.
Foreign police here today obtained
evidence that labor radicals are pre-
| pairing for another general strike tt
| take place whenever the Cantones.
gain a decisive military victory.
| The agitators were reported to bt
using the militarists' own weapon
terrorism, in their plans. At least tive
murders and several shootings in thu
Chinese quarter are known to hav,
/ taken place. Two were arrested OF
murder charges.
Victims of the agitators are chiefly
Chinese foremen who opposed the re
| cent strike, which labor leaders re
garded as a preparatory test for ;
real demonstration. They expected
that the preliminary strike would re
veal weaknesses" which they hoped
to correct.