Warlord Zhao Lingwei Issues Stern
Warning to Foreign Armies
FROM OUR NORTHERN CORRESPONDENT
MULINGCHAN, 18th this month
The mystery surrounding the abrupt halt of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force on the outskirts of Mulingchan has been partially lifted following the circulation of a proclamation attributed to the Manchurian commander Zhao Lingwei, a regional military strongman whose influence is said to extend along the Harbin–Suifenho railway corridor.
According to local sources, the disruption of rail traffic was not the work of Bolshevik irregulars, nor of Japanese agents, but rather a calculated operation carried out by an elite detachment known colloquially as the Iron Fang — a hand-picked guard unit personally loyal to Zhao himself. Witnesses report disciplined troops armed with pistols and long swords appearing briefly along the line before vanishing into the forests, leaving rails obstructed and signalling equipment disabled with professional efficiency.
In his statement, Zhao Lingwei declared that foreign military forces transiting Manchuria without invitation would no longer be tolerated, accusing the Brazilian Expeditionary Force of acting — knowingly or otherwise — as a “shield and screen for the ambitions of the so‑called Harbin Imperialist Russians.”
“Manchuria has suffered enough from armies who claim neutrality while clearing the road for others,” the proclamation reads.
“Those who travel our railways in armoured trains and foreign uniforms must understand that they do not pass unseen, nor unjudged.”
Zhao further warned that any force allowing itself to be “guided, supplied, or directed by émigré Russian officers and capital interests clustered around Harbin” risked becoming an instrument of renewed domination in the region — a fate he claimed to be resisting in the name of Chinese sovereignty and local order.
While the Brazilians have made no official response, observers note that the wording of Zhao’s declaration leaves open the possibility of future negotiations, should the South American contingent demonstrate independence from Russian influence and restraint in its movements.
For now, however, the message is unmistakable: the rails beyond Mulingchan are no longer neutral ground, and Zhao Lingwei’s Iron Fang Detachment stands ready to enforce his will with steel and fire.
