Meanwhile a remarkable military surprise . has occurred south of the
Great Wall. The retiring Northern troops seemed to be demoralized Wand had- been . fleeing before the Nationalists Witheut a halt. Fifteen thousand ofthem, according to the Peking. correspondent,. had . .
surrendered to the Mukden forces. Then .suddenlY..the remaining thirty thousand troops of the Shantung armies turned upon the Mukden. forces (their former allies) and attacked 'them with more fury than is usual in Chinese fighting. There had been a great deal of intrigue, most of which cannot be penetrated, but the immediate cause .; of the outburst .by the Shantungese was apparently the belief that some of the Mukden leaders intended ,t:45 force them to submit to Nanking: It is all very odd, yet r - perhaps" hinnarif The Shantiingese ran-awarfeeblY from the NatiOnaliSts When the-decision- to fail or to Stieceed rested with themselves,: but s. when, their, old fightfiig companions tried to dictate a. policy to them they revolted:. • ' '
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