Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-05-29
CHINESE WAR CLOUDS
STARTED OVER HERE
Contending Factions Trying
to Execute Mandate OF WASH
ington Arms Conference.

With the hest intentions In the world
the great powers at the Washington
gave China n new lease of
life. say the New York Times. They
assured her political and territorial
entity, and ferventiy hoped for its I'm
mediate peaceful unification and its
economic and commercial progress.
Three Chinese personages took upon
themselves the privilege and honor
and the burden of executing this In
spring mandate. They are General
WI Pei-fu. the leader of the Chill
Party and commander OF the military
forces of the Yangtsc; General Chang
Tso-lin. the Tuchun, or war lord, OF
Manchuria. and DIR. Sun Yat-sen. the
Extraordinary President OF the South
ern Republic, with ite capital at Canton.
The military manoeuvres OF these
men have brought the armies OF WI
and OF Chang into threatened collision,
while tho army OF the South Ia re-
strained through lack of funds and
local opinion from proceeding. The sit
uation, In various forms, aspects and
expressions has existed for ten years.
1t Is only It's climatic appearance at
the present time which makes Il OF
more than usual importance--thc huge
military forces involved. the programs
OF their leaders. and the hope that
timely negotiations between them ma y
yet he productive OF permanent benc-
fcial results such as We're desired at
Washington.
We believe that all this can be done
by the present broken-down and Ill
hitting political machinery at the
Northern capital Of PelSins vita the
patriotic support Of the Tuchuns of
the Northern provinces. Chang be-
lieves that he has already demon
stratcd by his administration Of Man
churia that what Picking needs II new
machinery throughout the political
plant. There Ia also n suspicion that
he would not object Ia DIR. Sun Vat.
sen furnishing most OF II from Canton
the capital OF the so-called Southern
Republic.
| Now. although the nominal Govern.
ment Of all China, repudiated 10y tn,
| South and merely tolerated by th'
North, with It's seat Mt Picking. has full
recognition in foreign Chancelleriee. 4
has not the power--eome gay not the
legal right--to exercise its authorit,
at home. II has no funds except thcs,
| which are periodically doled out to 1
from abroad In the vague hope OF bet
ter days 1t has the authority to lev,
taxes. but lacks tho necessary powe
to collect them. Tho other day Gen
eral Wang Cheng- ping, one Of tn
most influential leaders OF the Chill
4
authority for two years. went to Re
king with instructions to collect So
100000 for the payment OF tho loys
troops OF General WI pei-fu. He di
not set the money. How could n,
when the police and troops OF Pekin
and the surrounding procedures Ia
/, not been paid for months? In tn
metropolis and the procedures bus
noes Is said 10 be going on as usua
and such Is said TO be the situation (
the provinces. except I'm those dircctl
affected by the passage OF troops.
There Is this difference, however. be
tween the Central Government an
that OF the provinces. In the latte
the Tuchuns have both the authorit
and the power 10 levy and collec
: taxes, only they prefer not TO see tn
money go 10 Peking. The whole politt
cal. economic and military situatio
seems TO represent on prodigiou
scale what the United States woul
: have been had the Articles OF Cor
4 federation never been superseded /
L the Constitution. The period OF Unite
: States history from 1853 until IFS
: In the attempts of the Congress
legislate. the executive bodies of Il
Government to execute what lit
n there was legislated, and of the j.
> dietary TO try the delinQuents. pc
e sessed in miniature many of the er
u sodes that have been happening
IL China since the oldest monarchy
l. the world tried TO become republ
d Stil. even though WI and Char
l. should come 10 bows. the latter
Joined by DIR. sun Yat-sen. and loo
OF civil war should for time preva
Is even resulting In change of Cover
10 ment in Picking. there is little in q
n situation to cause despair. For IL w
te the people who brought about the re
NJ olution of 1911-12. and since then 1
he people have learned a great deal abo
Wv CT anu Nntn lHe
time comes will put that knowled
TO use. Remember. also. il was gu
century before the principles of :
French Revolution completely preva
e ed in France. The very elements
IN vastness OF territory and greatness
D. population-which have so retard
e, the development Of republican ms
r tutions in China form also the nation
n strongest protection, against the ms
tuition OF a government. whether I
ts dictionary or radical, which does r
re fully express the will of the people, n,
l. In process Of education. The only re
re son today why the North and Sou
n are not united is because the Sou
ly has been able TO educate itself me
ne rapidly than the North The reaso
i'd for this are partly ethhic, partly h
g. torical. and partly due to the unev
distribution of Western infiuenc
China. with double the area OF &C
tinental United States, has betwe
four and five times its population.
the North and West are the Manch
the Monoglians. the Tibetans and /
1b Moslems. In the South the Chine
~ prevail with their century old syst,
y. of education. their love of peace a
IN commerce, their readiness to ado
j. what is good in Western culture.
3 The constitutional theory of reput
RS can China which came into being
nd years ago retained the territorial 9
I'd tity OF the empire. Politically it h
n. remained at the confederation sta
ur not because the opinion of the peo
y, was not united in theory. but beca,
Y. for the reasons given, 1t has lacl
OF unity I'm practice. The provision
of Constitution devised by the Revo
tionary party at Marking met with
sc obstacles in causing the election q