4 SEPTEMBER 1926, Page 2

The latest news from China is disturbing and as usual

perplexing. There has been a marked advance of the Cantonese Red forces northwards into the Yangtze valley.. Yochow, a large city in the Hunan province. has fallen, and it is reported that Hankow is threatened if it has not already fallen. These events; may change the whole situation. It was from Central China that Wu Pei-fu drew his strength,- and it seems that while he was in the north co-operating with Chang Tso-lin outside Peking the garrisons which he left behind have been unequal to the challenge from the South. PerhoP we must now expect a further development of Red influences and. a worse time than ever for Hong Kong. Possibly the Red success will tempt back from Moscow Feng, the Christian General. The Shanghai army is co-operating against the Cantonese, and this fact may bring to Chang Tso-lin and Wu Pei-fu the most important ally that they can desire, namely, Sun Chaun-fang, but his terms are likely t6 136 high, and neither Chang nor Wu will gladly see the other helped by a third party.

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