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Show NATIONALIST STRONGHOLD THREATENED . SHANGHAI, China, Feb. 25. (lUi) Gen. Chang Tsung-Chang's bold ciiort to wrest Shangtung from Nationalist Na-tionalist Chica assumed more serious ser-ious proportions today, with the rebel war lord's forces estimated to out numbCr the beleagured Nationalist Nation-alist garrison at Chefoo 10 to 1. Chang was estimated to have mustered 40,000 troops. His ranks were swelled by defections from the ranks of Nationalist troops In the province, who were de'serting to the former military governor of the province. Nanking" authorities were dispatching dis-patching a minor rorce to Chefoo aboard warships to resist the attack of the northerners. While' .Gen. Lui Chen-Nien, Nationalist Na-tionalist commander at Chefoo, had reported a successful action on Sat-urady, Sat-urady, in which he said several hundred hun-dred rebels were killed and 800 captured cap-tured after an 18-hour battle niar. the city, he apparently underestimated underesti-mated the strength of his opponents. The Nationalist government wa3 faced with a difficult situation in the assault by the recently conquered con-quered northern generals on the rich Shantung district, long a pawn in the Chinese war game. The revolt re-volt was regarded as certain to hamper se'riously Peking's efforts to obtain withdrawal of Japanese troops from the province. |
