A fortnight ago, Ou Pei Fou, who was resuming the offensive against his personal enemy Chang Tso Ling, was abandoned by his lieutenant, General Feng. The latter had come to an agreement with Chang Tso Ling, Ou Pei Fou, caught between two fires, having lost Beijing, where the President of the Republic was struck down, tried to resist. A price was put on his head; his army disintegrated, and he has just fled to the South. It is a collapse.
It is now announced that Chang Tso Ling, who is not a democrat, Sun Yat Sen, who is the democratic reformer of Canton, and Marshal Tuan, are going to meet in Peking and that they will try to re-establish peace and establish a viable regime. One may remain skeptical, and this triumvirate, which includes two army chiefs fond of old ideas and an intellectual without an army, can produce the worst.
We must also take a look at the naval forces concentrated by the powers on the coast of China. The English cruisers are at Taku with gunboats and torpedo boats of various nationalities. Since last week, Japanese and American landing troops have been traveling along the Tientsin-Peking railway. Finally, Russia is not losing interest in the Far East. There is a nest of intrigue there and reasons for international conflict.