Evening star., 1922-05-12
Airplanes and Poison Gas May
Make China Serious World Menace

Utilization OF modern weapons of
warfare by the Chinese forces In
the present civil war Is matter of
serious concern for the nations of
the world in the opinion of many
of the nations editors. They empha-
size that China's warlike strength
never has been developed, but that
the results of the present lighting
show it might easily menace the
peace of the rest of the world. Cen
orally. however. the editorial COM
ment expresses the hope that with
the victory of Gen. WI there will
be created in China stable govern
ment. which will be more Interested
in developing the country industri-
ally than in anything else.
The chief interest and hope OF the
United States is tnat the outcome
will be the restoration of complete
tranquility to China, in tie opinion
of the Memphis News-Scimitar. which
points out that America mas 2Hly
good will toward China and desires
progress. The Japanese. as usual.
have hand in the struggle. and the
situation will be observed more close
ly by the experts for this reason
sooner or later Japan will reveal her
hand" Likewise the hope of for
eigners must be the development
''of central government in China
which has enough power to enforce It's
authority throughout the country the
Chicago Post says. inasmuch as
weak, divided, wavering China. with
no continuity and no credit. is con-
packed population and. despite the
Washington treaties, a disturbing
factor in the peace Of the orient
Regardless of who Is victorious, the
Christian Science Monitor is con-
vinced that the net result for China
will be but to make more evident
in the eyes of the world the great
gulf which still separates the Chi
nese people from stable, republican
government"
by outside money is the belief of the
Flint (Mich.) Journal. which suggests
that it is hard to see any difference
between the factions. as their war
aims seemed to be strikingly similar.
and just what they were fighting
ers." The hostilities. however, the
Springfield News points out. erpha-
size the fact that the old and tho
rev implements and agencleS Oh war
fare have combined to give to the
hostilities in China an interesting at
mosphere. The new met the old, with
the foregone result that the new has
perished" In addition. it is the be-
lief of the Grand Rapids Press that
not alone old methods of warfare but
the old traditions of China must end.
because "if China is to take her place
as a modern nation she must grow
out of the internal militarism and ex-
ternal protection which now makes a
farce Of her sovereignty. revival
of China's past methods affects her
present and future hopes. The wall
breaks before western religion and
science. but. for a moment, pro-
yincial war has bricked it up" There
is a general hope that the war may
unity China, the Portland Oregonian
saws, and it points out that "it is no
affair of ours which particular group
of Chinese rules China, but 1t is our
affair and that of every other COM
mercial nation that the rulers of
China shall not be mere puppets in
the hands Of some one nation"
That Gen. WI is entirely sincere, in
his statements that he is working to
achieve national unity and the res
toration of civil authority Is the be-
lief Of the Youngstown (Ohio) Vindi-
Gator. which says that with WI
known as a sincere and unselfish man
and Chang reported in the pay of
both the North Chinese government
and Japan. there is reason to believe
that the new III IehlHS
will result in better days for China"
The very fact that Gen. WI is anti
Japanese is a good sign, in the opin-
ion of the Terre Haute Star, which
also says that in order that the
Equality of opportunity agreed upon
at the Washington conference shall
be assured it is to be hoped that he
will be completely successfully in
crushing the entire forces Of his
bandit rival"
aon the whole. probably the outcome
IS satisfactory, II there has to be
aeht at ALL" the New York Times sug-
rests. inasmuch as "Wu Is q scholar
and a gentleman and is free from the
Japanese connection, which threw
suspicion on Chang. Whether he is
wise enough, or strong enough. to do
the things that need to be done for
China is doubtful" But the New
York World believes that american
weIl-wishers of China would gladly
look. on the bright side Of Gen. Wu's
success If possible. because he all
along has represented the anti-Japa--
nese sentiment in 4he north. Upon
his ability to Withstand flattery, his
resistance to the Napoleonic mania
that ruins dictators and his adherence
to his professed principles tremendous
issues may depend"
nenr,itA the Iaot that .ft In eleven