New-York tribune., 1917-08-31
China S Grave Disorder
Nears Anarchy
A Far Eastern View of the Forces
of Disintegration in Her
Government
(TAOmGs p Aalard IN "NfHorGs Revis,s.s o.
ShdAohaO

ShdhgbdO
Political pOrtents in China are OminOus.
This no longer can or ought to be CLOSED
over; and the time is opportuns to bring tie
disturbing elements into view as clearly a. i,
possible with the purpose of trying to avoid
disaster. First, it should be recognized thss
this present political dissension differs from
previous ones, which bore all the outward
marks Of similarity. We who have lived In
China during recent times have become ae-
customed to the elamors of Chinese internal
politics, so that we are rather apt to take too
philosophic view Of them and to think tha.
they somehow will straighten themselves ont
if let alone. There is much in past events 10
bear cut this assumption, for the Chimes.
have a truly remarkable way Of getting them.
selves into a seemingly hopeless political
tangie, then suddenly emerging from Il by
means Of Ito foreigners) almost cryptic ad.
justment. To take this compacent view Of
the present crisis is fallscious, because n
synchronizes with a world war that has set
forces into motion which in many places are
eating away at the foundations of civilized
order.
Factions Further and Further Apart
Looking back at events Of the last few
months, It is fairly clear that whatever shih
has occurred in Chinese politics has been on
the line of the augmentation Of forces Of dis.
integrstion rather than forces of consolida.
! tiOn. The opposing factions have been get
ting further and further apart. For mo-
ment it was hoped that the monarchieal fAsco
would unite the parties but that hope was
soon dashed. All that has eone out Of that
! incident has been a restoration Of Tuan Chi.
Jul to power in the Peking government
! Other factors remain uncertain. Ii Yuan,
| hung presents the spectacle Of President
who won't act like q President and who con.
! sequently turns the government over to q
! Premier. This Premier is an able man, with
sufficient experience to manage affairs; but
! he is opposed by strong party-the Kuo.
mingtsng- Of whose leaders, or as.
| sumed leaders, are without doubt trying 70
| organize rebellion. In this group are the
members Of the dissolved parliament, or a
majority of them. The liberals are divided
among themselves into radicals and mod.
crates. Sun Yat-sen, Tang Shao-y and a
| few others assume leadership Of the radicals
| and want 10 secede from the Peking govern
ment, with new government established al
another place. While Sun Yat-sen and Tang
Shao-yi were in Shanghai, Nankng was
favored by them as the seat Of revolution.
airy government but now that those men
! have gone to Canton that always turbulent
city is favored as the new capital.
| An Appeal to America
But all members Of the parliament hsys
not gone cuttering off to Canton in the trail
! - C,,p Vat NJ Cho, ii; 4
them-those chiefly who come from other
parts of China than the South-haye re,
NAMED in Shanghai or have gone to their
homes. The members remaining in Shanghai
| have sent telegram to the American Con-
gress and to the Duma and 20 the House Of
Commons in similar terms, as follows: "De-
mocracy is again fighting for existence in
! China. For the second time since the estab-
] ishment of the Chinese Republic our par
! lament has been illegally dissolved and an
! oligarchy, based on military force set up in
! the capital. We are fighting the same foe
/ that you and the other democracies are fight
| ing in Europe-the beast Of militarism. As
nation determined to be governed as a de-
| mocracy. we appeal TO the American people
and their Congress for support"
! While recognizing the eloquence and 10
/ some extent the justice of this appeal, the
men who sent IT ought to understand that In
case the parliaments to whom it is addressed
should desire to take action in response they
will be forced to move through certain estab-
lished channels. We have frequently written
in favor of our own nation-the United States
trying to aid democracy in China; but wo
do not see Just how this is feasible except by
aiding some government of China. The
American Congress hardly can be expected to
e. -, II, fba buq e re-
a government in China that the United States
has and does recognize as being legally con-
stituted; and the same reasoning would APP
ply to the Commons and the Dums. SYM
pathy in generaized form is one thing con-
crete aid to democracy in China is another
A government Of one democracy will en-
counter almost insurmountable obstacles in
trying to aid another democracy as long as
the democracy needing and asking the aid Is
unable TO create something in the form CT
government to be aided.
Order Crunbling away
Thus the primary requisite for other de-
mocraces TO aid democracy in China is some
thing in the nature Of stable government
here, or at least public order. A logical
premise of this proposition is that, in case
the Chinese democrats are themselves unable
or Iall 70 esLaDIlSA SLaole government VI "
maintain public order, the first step which
foreign aid would have to take would be 70
establish order in China. Cannot Chinese
grasp this fundamental fact? Cannot the
Chinese parliamentarans who composed that
telegram to other parliaments see that, In
political practice, they have invited foreign
Intervention in China which probably would
have to recommence by restoring order in the
country as an indispensable prelude to any
constructive assistance? In all parts o. TINS
country We notice evidences Of the crumohng
of order. News comes every day now Of mu'
TIMES here and there, and riots, always AZ
tended by violence and looting. From past
experience we know the outgrowth and ths
outcome Of these manifestations, II they are
4 - ---Ln