CHANG MAY GET PARDON MONDAY.
NANKING, Sunday, Jan. 3.—
(TP)—Indication that rebel Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang will be
freed from prison on Monday was
seen today in the summoning of the
Chinese State Council for an emergency session on that day.
The Council will consider a plea
for leniency offered by Marshal
Chang. Dictator Chiang supports
the leniency plea and it is probable
that a full pardon will be granted
when the Council meets.
Chang was sentenced to ten years
in prison for his seizure and imprisonment of Dictator Chiang Kai-shek at Sianfu. It was generally
expected, however, that the rebel
marshal would be pardoned after
serving only a few days of his sentence.
It had been planned to release
Marshal Chang under a pardon
last night. However, when time
came for the pardon to be signed,
government officials balked on the
grounds that pardon would prove
too lenient.
Generalissimo Chiang has persistently pleaded on Chang's behalf.