New-York tribune., 1920-12-05

independent military satrapies over the
country, has been retained in all its
AutocratiC offensivencss, though there
has been concentration in fewer hands
lh, talk of peoples convention to
draft new constitution and a redis-
tribution Of political power between
governing and governed has vanished d
into thin air. All is exactly as it was,
with few names changed.
Government lnsolvent
This government goes deeper in
bankruptcy with every month. There
is little pretense of sovency. The
monthly deficit is considerably greater
than the receipts, official salaries are
unpaid, upkeep of administrative ma
chlnery cannot be maintained tho Min
istry of Education scurries about for
small, private loans to keep the schools
open, the soldiers go without pay from
month to month. and the terror of
mutiny hovers over the country. If
another year can pass without a seri-
Gus outbreak and the spilling of in
nocent blood it will be q grateful sur
prise both to the government and the
people.
In the mean time terrible famine
sits on large part of the country;
there VIII be death by starvation for
hundreds of thousands, death by dis
ease for as many more. The govern
ment takes cognizance by making new
offices for old favoritcs in so-called
relief organizations. A new intrigue is
started for control Of these organiza-
1lons and the donated funds they will
have at their disposal. Moving pleas
are made to the other powers for loans
TO provide relief funds, with margin
of so per cent or more for those who
viii handle TIE funds. For the loans
the government is more than willing to
pledge customs revenues, railway
revenues, or any other resource for
any indefinite stretch in the future,
leaving those of the future to worry
for themselves while those Of the pres
ent wax fat.
Dictatorship Near Fall
The one element Of announcement
is that new fight is inevitable. This
dictatorship probably will not last 50
long AS the one before. Opposition to
Chang Tso-lin is already being mar
shaled by his jealous opponents. Sec
ond in strength to Chang Tso-lin is
Tsao- Kun, Governor of the capital
glc post Chang Tso-lin gets, Tsao-K un
gets another. For every million of
which Chang Tso-lin bleeds the gov
ernment Tsao-Kun demands another.
Cliang Tso-lin seizes the airplanes at
Peking, Tsao-Kun seizes those in
Tientsin. Little cliques are growing
up, moving out their lines, hoarding
the sinews of war and preparing for
the test Of strength.
In the unreconstructed south another
little war is in progress, of which even
participants scarcely know what it is
about. The one-time rebels of Young
China, so called, with Sun Yat Sen and
Tang Shao-yi as their leaders, now
professional insurrectos of full Cen
trail American complexion, sit COM
fortably but garrulously at Shanghai
hurting manifestos, creating new titles
and deserving new opportunities for
provisional governments consisting of
Offices, titles salaries, but no location
and no duties.
Faction Controls Canton
Aother faction of rebels has taken
Canton, center and treasury Of rump
rebellion, wherefore the present war.
1t is union jurisdictional fight
There has been no more pathetic dis
enchantmer in China than that of the
degenerating of Young China, once in
spiration and authors of the republic,
now disgruntled and highly vocal
cabal of professional "revoluters. y
They still sing the old tunes of democ-
racy and liberty that so entrance the
innocent American, but China is deaf
TO the siren.
In Peking an extra complication has
risen in the resurrection of what was
known as the Old Chiaotung clique, the
clever bpt cOrr11pt riDp that h11i1t I'M O