Chinatown is embroiled in a bitter factional strife between two of its leading families, and Wong Chin Foo, the leader of the Wong faction in its prosecution of the Moy faction, has declared open hostility against State's Attorney Kern. The reason he gives is, that in his opinion, he cannot obtain justice through Mr. Kern in the case of Wong Aloy, in whose interests he came from New York. The fight grew out of an assault which was made upon Wong Aloy, a Chinese student at Evanston, by Moy Toi Nye and Ung Yok the night of March 29 last in front of 307 South Clark Street. The assailants were arrested and placed under a $2,000 bond by Justice Clemon. The prosecution was represented by Attorney John B. Strassburger, who had taken an interest in Wong Aloy and who now harbors him at his home, where the Chinaman is still confined in bed as a consequence of the injuries received.

The Wong family, however, believed that a more vigorous prosecution would be made if their side of the case could be presented in court by an English speaking Chinaman and after holding a consultation telegraphed to Wong Chin Foo to come and assist in the prosecution. Wong Chin Foo arrived in Chicago on April 2 in response to this call.

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Among the first things which Wong Chin Foo advised was the rearrest of the assailants, which was effected. Their bond was raised to $12,000. The bondsmen of Moy Toi Nye and Ung Yok were Hip Lung, whose real name is Moy Choong Few, and Sam Moy. Between these two men, who represent the Moy family and Wong Chin Foo, who represents the Wong family, is the bitter fight. It is openly asserted by Wong Chin Foo that he is unable to secure justice from State's Attorney Kern and that it is impossible for any Chinaman in the city of Chicago who is not friendly to the Moy family to obtain justice through him. In corroboration, as he thought, of this statement Wong Chin Foo, who speaks unusually good English, told the following story yesterday to a reporter of the Tribune:

"State's Attorney Kern sent word to Inspector Koch of the Harrison Street Station last Friday morning that he wanted to see me at his office. As soon as I was notified by the Inspector, I hired a cab and drove to Mr. Kern's office in company with two detectives from the Central Station, whom I took along as witnesses. On our arrival there I was asked to step into Mr. Kern's private office alone. As soon as the door was closed and we were alone, Mr. Kern dropped into a chair, crossed his legs upon the table and turning suddenly toward me, began the following conservation 'I know you,' he said. "'I am glad that I need no introduction, then,"' I replied.

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'You have come to Chicago to make trouble. You are a fomenter of trouble and a disturber of the peace among Chinamen.' I was amazed and said: "'I guess you have mistaken the man.'" 'No,' he repled, 'I know you through previous disturbances that have taken place in the city. You came here a few years ago and created dissention among the Chinamen.' "'It is true,'" I replied, "'that I came here a few years ago, but it was for the purpose of quelling a disturbance among my countrymen and in this task I succeeded.'" 'I have my information from Sam Moy,' said Mr. Kern, 'who is a resident of Chicago and I prefer his testimony to yours. Moreover I want you to understand that if you prosecute Sam Moy or Hip Lung you prosecute me. Those men are my friends and in no case will I prosecute them.' "' When the Chinamen told me,'" I replied, "' that whatever Sam Moy or Hip Lung did they were all right with the State's Attorney, I did not believe them.'" 'You may believe them. It is true,' said Mr. Kern. "Very well then,'" I replied, "'I will drop Hip Lung and Sam Moy and will fight you. I have fought the New York police and other formidable opponents in the attempt to secure justice for my countrymen and I do not shrink from this conflict. My life is dedicated to the cause of securing them justice and if I loose it in the attempt it will be an honorable death.'"

John B. Strassburger, the Attorney for Wong Aloy said to a reporter of the Tribune:

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"I went to Mr. Kern and sought his assistance in prosecuting this case. The grand jury was in session and the request might very properly, as it seems to me, have been granted. Mr. Kern refused it and made no secret of the fact that Sam Moy and Hio Lung were his friends, although he did not base his refusal on those grounds. While I have no proof I feel morally certain that Judge Longenerker would have granted my request."

State's Attorney made the following explanation to a reporter of the Tribune yesterday of the interview with Wong Chin Foo: "In my opinion Wong Chin Foo is an adventurer. He came to Chicago at this time, I think, for the purpose of stirring up a quarrel among the Chinamen, that he may reap benefit from it. I understand from Hip Lung, whom I have known for a number of years as a prosperous merchant and peaceful man, that he is considered a professional mischief-maker, who travels about among his people in an ostensibly, self-sacrificing manner for his personal profit. I think, I understand Chinamen thoroughly, and believing that Wong Chin Foo had come here to create trouble in Chinatown, I thought the surest way of averting it would be to read the riot act to him. Accordingly I unfolded my plan to Inspector Koch and sent word through him to Wong Chin Foo that I wished to see him here. When he came I talked to him rather savagely and gave him plainly to 5understand, that he might look for no help through this department in stirring up trouble which threatened the city's peace. In doing this I performed what I believed to be my duty. To Mr. Strassburger I said that a precedent had been established in this office, that no criminals except fugitives from justice should be presented until they had obtained a preliminary hearing and were duly bound over to the grand jury. I told Wong Chin Foo if it had been a white man in the case he would have been fined $25 and the case disposed of long ago. They are making a trivial matter the excuse for a bitter factional fight.

Hip Lung was seen yesterday and said that he was told that Wong Chin Foo had held a meeting of the Wong family and advised the members to raise $600 to be given to any man who would kill him, (Hip Lung), and also that Wong Chin Foo had agreed to withdraw the prosecution provided that the Moy family would pay him $500.

Wong Chin Foo pronounces both of these statements false and absurd and declares that since his arrival in the city he has not been without a body guard for a moment, one of whom is a detective from Chicago Central Station. He asserts that Hip Lung or Moy Choong Few, as his correct name is, has gained his ascendency over the Chinamen of Chicago through his position as treasurer and manager of the Hip 6Lung company, which has houses in San Francisco and Hongkong, China. The term "Hip Lung" means "united prosperity," he asserts and the company is owned by the Moy family.

Wong Chin Foo says that he thinks that the financial power of this institution is the secret of its influence over civil courts. He says that Hip Lung himself is financially crippled through sending $8,000 a few months ago for the aid of his correspondents in Canada, who got into trouble by smuggling Chinamen into the United States. He states that the Moy family has about five hundred members in Chicago, while the Wong family numbers about fifty. Hip Lung says that his own family has two hundred representatives in the city while the Wong family has about one hundred and fifty.

Wong Chin Foo is one of the best educated Chinamen in America and a writer of some repute. He is a contributor to several leading journals and is the author of an article on the drama of China, printed on page thirty-three of this issue of the Tribune.