The Nanking " Government " has announced its intention to
abolish likin and the accomplished fact of the imposition of increased surtaxes on goods and tonnage dues, partly to provide compensation for the loss of likin.' The representatives of the Powers have not been consulted and will presumably have something to say. The same Government proposes to float $60,000,000 worth of Treasury notes illegally secured on provincial salt revenues, and to impose what amounts to an embargo on silver. The de facto authorities at Nanking and Hankow are both extremely uncomfortable and looking jealously at each other. Materially Hankow seems to be in the worse plight. The army commanders themselves cannot foresee the results of their complicated intrigues, but Chang Tso-lin seems to be holding his ground in the North.
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