New-York tribune., 1917-10-28
WI Ting-fang
Denies China
Favors Kaiser
Declares Revolt in South 10
Against Military Usurpers
in Control at Peking
Opposes American Loans to
Rulers, Saying They
Would Not Help the Allies
tstsn correspondencel

SHANGHAI, China, Sept. 2o.-No
man is better qualified to act as spokes-
man for Chinese liberalism than DR..
WI Ting-fang, venerable ex-Minister
to the United States. And no man is
better able to interpret the peculiar
position of those radicals who have
Joined the secession movement In the
south in spite Of China's participation
in the world war.
Those radicals, the men Of the Kuo
Ming Tang party, are eager for UNDER
standing in America. Their leaders
nearly all men who were educated In
the United States, it was they who first
responded to President Wilson's invi-
tation to neutrals to join the United
States in severing diplomatic relations
with Germany. And they are sensi-
tive to the accusation that by their
revolution against the Peking govern
ment they are helping the German
cause.
DR.. WI Is Pro-Ally
Although DR.. WI Ting-fang was the
Foreign Minister who signed the man
date severing China's relations with
Germany and his leanings have been
and are pronouncedly pro-ally, his
sympathies arc now with the South
He has been in constant communication
with the Canton leaders, but 80 far has
remained in Shanghai, in the handsome
European style mansion where, IN inc
intervals of his political activities ne
spends his time in his Chinese gardens;
experimenting on vegetarian diets anu
writing abstruse monographs on philo-
sophical and religious questions. IL was
there went TO ask him for an explana
tion for American readers OF why the
Chinese Liberals are dividing the ma
tion against itself in the lace OF
powerful external enemy.
His response WAS not only complete
instificatfon of the South, but an EN-
phatic appeal TO the Allied powers, ana
especially the United States. not to ad-
vance loans to the present Peklng gov
ernment. Financial help to that gov
ernment. as il is now constituted ne
savs will be not assistance IN the ef-
fective prosecution of the war against
Germany. but the underwriting OF mill
tarism in China.
"The southern provinces are not
against the war;" he said. Ihey
have not opposed it in the past and do
not oppose il now. On the contrary
thew. like the majority Of the Chinese
neoule. have come to see the righteous
ness OF tho cause Of the Allies. Ihey
know that the war is the fight OF lib-
ertv against Prussian militarism. They
can understand the meaning or tnat
and svmpathize with it all the more be-
cause there is similar fight IN Chlna'
And il is the fight against militarism IN
China that they regard as the more I'M
portant. Their attitude, IN tact, Is eN
actly that of the American government
as expressed in the note to China OF TWO
months ago. when it said that the entry
of China into the war against Germany
was secondary TO the necessity 1or
China TO resume and continue her po-
litical entity and TO proceed along the
road of national development. All Am
orleans should remember that.
"The South has indorsed the declara-
tion of war against Germany and VIII
support that war. The fight it Is now
making is primarily against the Peking
government, because of its illegallty.
II ia on the abstract principle OF con-
stitutionalism. That fight began before
the wsr and is bound to go on despite
the war.
Should Not Lend to Peking
"My own hope now is for compro,,,
mise. for the good of China as well
as for the world. AS long as this state
os affairs continues, though both Pc
king and the South have declared war
against Germany, they can do httie
for the Allies. But loans VIII only
make matters worse.
'Tf foreign financial support is given
to either party-and it now seems that
the Entente bankers are to give such
support to Peking-it Will encourage
that party to stand out. Those foreign
finaneiers who think that by supplying
money to one party they can cut short
civil war and unite the nation against
Germany will find that the effect Will
be lust to the contrary. The money
that is given to the Peking govern
ment will be used for the suppression
Of the South. It is no good to stipu-
late, as they are talking of doing, that
it be used only for administrative and
war purposes. The government now
has revenue for its ordinary pur-
POSES. If it gets more, it will use that
for administrative purposes and its
regular revenue for putting down the
South. Ana the South can be sup