New Britain herald., 1918-01-08
POLITICAL PARTIES
IN THE THE FAR EAST
Chinese Voters Pin Hopes on Two
Or Three Organizations
(By Han LANG IIuang.)

New DIRK, Jan. S.-Political par
ties in China are similar to those of
England and America rather than
those of continental Europe Instead
Of multiplicity of parties, the ten
dency in China has been toward the
development Of two or three predom-
inant parties. It is true that at one
time there was large number of
parties in China, but they have long
been consolidated, and it is not likely
that these large parties. which ha> G
grown up out Of the consolidation Of
the minor parties, will be split I'D
again.
Roughly speaking, there are at
present three parties, in China: the
huomintang, (Citizens' Party); the
Chinpuiang, Progressive Party; and
the Pciyangpai, Group OF North
China.) Just as in western nations
thore are usually ali shades of opinion
within q single political party, so it is
IN China, fact which must be borne
in mind in any discussion OF the sub
ject.
The Kuomintang is, in the main, an
outgrOWth of the Tonenointane
Leasue Of Sworn Members.) or the
rcvolutionist party which was organ
lied by DR.. Sun Yat-sen and his as
soclatcs many years ago Whatever
may be its shortcomings, this Darty
deserves the gratitude OF everv Chi
nese, for it was due to the persistent
efforts and courageous work of the
Tongmintang that the revolution of
1911 was brought about which sue
ceeded in overthrowing the Manchu
regime and created the Republic.
1t will be recalled that before the
a oh
ruary, 1912, a Provisional Parliament
was organized in Marking by the revo
lutionists. 1t is natural that the rev.
olutionists, or the Tongmintang.
should have secured practically abso
lutte control of this parliament. After
the abdication Of the emperor and
the Inauguration of Yuan Shih-kai as
president of the republic the Marking
provisional parliament was transferred
to Picking. Meantime the Tonemin-
tang had reorganized itself, changed
it's name into KuOmintang, and en-
nsted the support of q large number
of very important men, among them
Tang Shao-yi, Wa Ting-fang, and G.
T. Wang. Although the party con-
tinued to dominate the parliament
there grew up, as soon as the seat of
government was transferred to Pc
king, number OF rival, il not anita o.
onistic parties afterwards responsible
for the deadlock between the Kuomin-
tang and the supporters Of Yuan Shin
kai. The result was that by a high-
handed measure Yuan Shih-kai ex-
PEELED all the Kuomintang members
from Picking, an act amounting 70
dismissal Of parliament, for the ma.
jority of its members were Kuomin-
tang men.
After their dismissal from parlia-
ment, the Kuomintang reverted to
their former activities, which were
in the main revolutionary. They be-
lioved that Yuan Shih-kai would not
be true to the republic and would
make himself emperor. In this they
were right, as subsequent events |
showed. Its radical members believed |
that immediate action must be taken |
to GUST Yuan Shih-kai from Picking, |
though they met much opposition from
the more conservative clements of !
their group.
nscTvative-ProgyGSs iycs
The C'hinputang may be called tho |
conservative-prog ressive party. Tt
was formed out of a consolidation
Of three parties, the republican party |
the union party, and the progressive
party. After the dissolution Of par
lament in 1913 it broke up into fac
tions. one of which was in favor Of
Yuan Shih-kai's monarchical move |
ment, and the other opposed to it, !
Among those who opposed the move
ment were Tuan Chi-jui, tho chief of
the general staff, LANG Chi-ch'ao, and
Tsai 40, who afterwards escaped from
Picking and became the hero of tho |
Yunnan revolution Of 1915. Both |
Tsai 40 and Liam Chi-ch'ao became
very active in the movement to thwart |