The New York herald., 1922-05-01
Chinese Chiefs at War.

lie present military claSn In emma
is the outgrowth of long political
rivalry between two powerful Chinese
! leaders, General CHANG Tso-LIN, Gov
ernor of Manchuria in the north,
and General WI PEI-FU, viceroy of
Honan, in central China. The fight
ing so far has been confined to
northern China, centering along the
railroad line from Pekin to Tientsin
on the coast, and unless it takes on
a more general character than most
of the factional disturbances in the
past it is not likely to spread into the
interior of the country.
! The most notable of recent upris-
ings headed by these Chinese fac
tional leaders was that in 1917, when
CHANG HsUN organized his pigtailed
retainers into a military force and
marched to Pekin. He met compara-
lively little opposition on his march.
He replaced the deposed boy EN-
peror on his throne and proclaimed
him the ruler of the Middle Kingdom
and himself his Prime Minister. If
was a pleasant excursion for CHANG
HsUN's troops; they wandered around
the palace grounds of Pekin as they
lad never hoped to do, and laid as
much OF q tribute as they could upon
the Chinese quarter of the city. Then
| the Government awoke to the fact
that CHANG HsUN was at the best
only a former bandit and that he
had no support beyond his own
| troops. The military forces Of the
republic were called out, CHANG
HsUN and his pigtaiied troops were
sent back to their homes and the
little boy Emperor, after weeks
basking in imperial glory, stepped
down from his throne.
The present uprising differs from
that led by CHANG HsUN in that each
of the two chiefs has a larger fol-
lowing and a political history of
longer service. Both men have held
posts under the republic. General
! CHANG Tso-LIN was Inspector-General
Of the three eastern provinces in
/ 1918, he was a member of the War
/ Ministry, and it is said that he is
receiving support from TUAN CHI-JUI,
the Premier who was forced out of
Office on account Of his pro-Japanese
sympathies. General WI PEI-FU was
one of YUAN SHIH-KAI's satellites, and
although he has held several impor-
tant posts besides that of Viceroy
of Honan, it is said that he has dis
played no distinguished government
tai ability.
They are united on one point, both
being opposed to President HsU SHIH-
CHANG. They charge him with issu
ing concessions to foreigners and
with paying too much attention to
foreign advisers. Both seek control
of the central Government at Pekin
and are endeavoring to secure sup
port by most liberal promises of gov
ernment reforms and progress. Pres
ident HsU SHIH-CHANG confesses his
inability to meet the conditions, de-
claring that he has at his command
only the small force of gendarmes
who form his palace guards.
China itself appears to display
little interest in the struggle. accord
ing to reports outside Of Pekin. The
foreign legations, however. have
called upon the Chinese Government
to prevent fighting in Pekin, which
would endanger the lives Of foreign
residents there, and also have de-
manded protection for foreign indus
tries and enterprises in China. Presi-
dent HsU SHIH-CHANG is using the
facts of foreign interests in China
and the risk of incurring foreign
Intervention to bring an end to the
struggle and peaceful conditions to
the country. This is perhaps his
most effective plea and it has been
successfully employed in several in
stances in the past history of the
/ republic.
The course OF the strug1'e will be
closely followed by nations with in
terests In China. The chief danger
now seems to be that it may result
in breach between the Government
of South China at Canton and the
Government at Pekin. The indica-
tion that this may happen is found
in the statement that DR.. Sun YAT.
SEN, the head of the Canton Gov.
ernment, and former Premier TUAN
CHI-JUI are supporting the Viceroy
of Honan. IL war between North and
South China can be avoided there is
reason for believing that the contest
for supremacy between the two chiefs,
General WI PErFU and General
CHANG Tso-LIN, will soon come to
an end with the fatalities and dam
ages confined to their own followers.