Evening star., 1921-11-03
WARSH|PS PROTECT
VESSELS OFF CHINA
Allies to Combat Guerrilla
Armies Now Besieging
Pekinq Government.
BY WILLIAM n. GILES.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily Ne
Copyright 1921

! By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
| Copyright, 1921.
PEKING. China, November 3.-Allied
warships in Chinese waters have
| formed joint squadron for protection
Of foreign ships which are being fred
upon by the guerrilla armies 5esieg-
| ing the crumbling Peking government.
China's condition today is worse
| than at any other time in the repub-
lies history. Besides the division be-
tween the north and the south the
, southerners and northerners are di-
vided among themselves.
The Peking governments financial
| position is hopeless. The judges. un-
paid for many months, threaten to
close the courts. The police, teachers
and minor officials threaten to strike
and mutinies are feared in the un-
| paid army. and navy. No real gov
| ernment has existed in Peking for
months. The officials are unable to
exert authority in the provinces out
| side the capital. The provinces cam
local militarists communicating the
same to meet their military expendi-
lures. Much of this revenue is
pledged to pay foreign loans which
the government cannot meet.
Soldiers Surround Peking.
! Thirty thousand disappointed SOL
diers have surrounded Peking and are
| threatening to take the law into their
| own hands unless back pay is given
=, them. Ten thousand more are march
! ing on Peking from Jehol for the ex-
| press purpose of demanding their
| pay. These soldiers include China's
| best lighters. and grave fears are en-
tertained that it means trouble in
Peking: Every night the native bank
erS bring in gold, silver and securi-
ties to the legation quarter for safe
| keeping.
Robbery and brigandage are RAM
| pant in nearly every province, espe-
claliy on the Yangtsze river. where
| foreign ships are continually being
| fired on. The allied warships in
chinese waters have formed a squad
| ron for the joint protection Of for
! elsners. In several parts of China
Foreigners are held prisoners by
, bandits for ransom. The government
Is unable to stop the opium cultiva-
| ton because the militarists want the
opium profits for their own purpose.
Would Stave OF Bankruptcy.
What little unity there is in the
government is prompted by a desire
| 70 staVe off bankruptcy until the
! washington conference is ended. Tn
l doubtedly Sun Vat Sens threatened
| campaign against the north is due to
ms desire to embarrass the Chinese
delegation in Washington by show
! ing the disorganized condition of
| China today. He announces that he
! VIII not return to Canton unless he is
successful against the north. If the
present government collapses, as it
seems it must do soon. the present
| premier will be a presidential candi-
date. and DR.. Yen, who still refuses
to be the chief delegate to the Wash
| lnSton conference. will try to become
| premier. The present government is
completely dominated by Chang Tse-
Lin. and its collapse would mean con-
troll by the Chilli liberals.
| FINANCIAL government officials are
greatly worried because of the an
nouncsment noun I'm not that that unless China meets
the $1,000. 900 loan made by the
Continental-C Commercial Bank OF Chi
| cago and held by American invest
ors China's credit in the United
states will be ruined. The note falls
! due today. If China is willing to
make new loan covering the old
| loan ard interest a new consortium
| Will consent to take it over but be-
! cause of the factional fight in the
government there is little chance Of a
new loan hein.: made, and it will be
| a plain case OF default.
| DCiSSaNtS 10 >. H1n01cHnDeQ.
| Japan's reply to China's Shantung
! note is unlikely to bring direct rego-
tiations. Thousands of petitions from
all over the country opposing it are
coming into Peking daily. A year ago
| the government favored direct nego-
! tiations and intimated as much to
Japan. but it had not expected the
! popular opposition which arose not
| because the people were opposed to
| direct negotiations. but because they
did not trust their own officials. fear
| ing that they would again sell out
the country's interests to line their
! own pockets.
! On account Of the chaos reigning in
China today, the north and south divi-
| sion, the prospect of bankruptcy, the
! general disorder throughout the coun-
| try and the political uncertainty,
| China's delegates to the Washington
i conference are in a POOR position to
| put forward a strong case no matter
| how clever they may be or what the
| Chinese propagandists may say in an
effort to camouflage the real situa-
| ton. ChinaS position is most critical.