Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1926, Volume I

893.00/7223: Telegram

The Minister in China (MacMurray) to the Secretary of State

Peking, March 24, 1926—3 p.m.
[Received March 24—10:07 a.m.]

147. My 108, March 3, 1 p.m., and my 146, March 23, 7 p.m., paragraph 2.

1. Chang Tso-lin’s forces having captured Lanchow, despatched columns toward Tientsin and overland toward Peking, forcing evacuation by National Army [of] Tientsin and adjacent area. National Army is now hastily retiring on Peking. Tientsin is now occupied by Li Ching-lin’s troops.

2. Sun Ch’uan-fang is still inactive. Hunan has been seized by forces allied with Canton Government. Wu Pei-fu’s campaign is stationary.

3. Railroad traffic has been interrupted since the 22nd, but an effort has been made this morning to run a train from Peking to Tientsin, with what success I am not yet informed.

4. I have heard on reliable authority that National Army leaders are endeavoring to effect a compromise with Chang Tso-lin for the establishment in Peking of coalition government to the exclusion of Wu Pei-fu.

5. Please repeat [to] War and Navy Departments as at request of military and naval attaches.

MacMurray