Evening star., 1921-09-04
CHINA CONSIDERED
AS UNITED NATION
Southern Government Will Be
Disregarded at Coming
Conference.

China Is China-whether there is
one or two governments in the vast
territory of that country-when 1t
comes to the consideration of prob
lens Of the Pacific. and as such it will
he dealt with at the coming Wash
ington conference on the limitation of
armaments and problems of the far
cast. is the belief prevailing here.
Economic problems. questions of
trade, the ''open-door'' policy. spheres
of, influence, etc, which may be dis
cussed at the coming conference. must
be considered with reference to the
entire country. it is believed.
making no statements at this time re-
earding the Chinese situation in con-
nection with the coming conference.
PekinE Government Recognized.
The facts of the matter. however,
are that there exist today in China
two governments-one, the northern.
or Peking, government, and the other.
the southern. or Canton. government.
The northern government alone has
been recognized by this country and
the other powers who will assemble
here for the conference. 1t is the
northern government that has been
formally invited to send its delegates
to the conference.
The position taken by the repre-
sentatives of the southern Chinese
government is that it will make no
effort to send here delegates unless it
is invited to do so. Moreover, the
southern government, its representa- :
tives say, will not be bound by what
the Washington conference decides
unless it is represented at the con-
ference and at the conference agrees
10 the settlements that may be maze.
Chinese Problems Important.
While it may be easily understood
that the Chinese problems-which are
among the most important, if not the
most important. of the far eastern
questions to be considered-could be
handled more readily and smoothly If
there were but one Chinese govern
ment at the conference. representing
the entire country. nevertheless, the
opinion prevails that what the con-
f-rring powers may determine about
the economic problems relating to
China will prove effective. For in
stance and Just as an illustration,
should the decision be reached to re-
turn to Chinese influence entirely the
province of Shantung, the Japanese
withdrawing completely, it would
make comparatively little difference
whether the southern government of
China chose to differ with such set
tlement of this problem. The opinion
growing here is decidedly hopeful
with regard to the settlement of
many of the far eastern problems,
those of China along with the rest.
Might Send Dual Delegation.
1t will be remembered that at the
peace conference in Paris. the north
ern and southern governments of
China got together and sent what
amounted to a combined delegation. 1t
has been suggested that possibly some
similar arrangement might be made
at the coming Washington conference.
This arrangement. Of course. would
have to be made by the Chinese them
selves, as the southern Chinese gov
ernment is not recognized by the
other powers participating in the con-
ference.
incidentally, it may be mentioned
that at the Paris conference 1T was
the delegates representing south
China who held out against the terms
of the treaty and prevented the sign
ing of that treaty by China's repre-
sentatives.
South China Representated Here.
The south China government has
its agents in Washington now-and
has had them here for some time.
They are laying stress upon the fact
large part of China They insist that
it covers more than half of the coun-
try; that it is the progressive and
democratic element Of the nation.
They insist south China owes no al
legiance to the Peking government.
Among the leaders of the southern
government are DR.. Wu Ting fang,
twice Chinese minister to the United
States; DR.. Sun Vat Sen. father of the
Chinese republic. who resided in this
country for a decade before he and
others launched the plan for a re-
publican. China a number of years
ago.
Controls Six Provinces.
The south China government con-
trolls six of the richest and most i'm
portant provinces Of China, and, it Is
said. has the sympathy of three other
provinces. The population of these
provinces is in excess of 200, 100000,
and the area of the country governed
in the south is more than a million
square miles.
The representatives of the south
ern government here are taking the
position that if half of China is to
be ignored-so far as the attendance
of delegates at the conference is con-
cerned = the decision of far eastern
questions in which China is involved
will be little more than a farce. The
government is insistent that 1t
be recognized.
The south China government, it is
declared, Is more firm in it's opposi-
tion to Japanese aggressions in China
than is the northern.