The Washington times., 1922-05-07
.WU' VICTORY IN
CHINA To SLOW
American Head of Canton Col.
Iege Says Success Will Not
Be Permanent.

Prediction that the momenfo"
settlements affecting China, which,
made at the Washington confer.
ence, wiU be sioWed up as re.
suit of Va PeTs victory at Pekiug,
is made by DR.. Charles X. Ed.
munds, president of Canton Chrts.
tiar College, nOW in NeW York
He says II ,CiH take years TO accom-.
plish unification Of China. dl.
though Va Pei Fu may be a domi.
mating factor for wht'e.
BY DIR. CHARLES X. EDMUNDS.
President Canton Christian College,
OF Canton. China.
Copyright, 1922. by Cosmo poIitan Ne~s
ServlceD
NEW YORK, May 6.-There can
be no doubt that the victory OF Gen.
WI Pei Flu, near Picking. over the
forces of Gen. Chang TsoLin will
result in a slowing up of the settle.
ments affecting China made ar the
conference on limitation OF arma'
ments Such postponement, how
ever, is not likely to be permanent,
but il is regrettable that even de.
lay should exist. However, II Is
condition that cannot be avoided, for
the same would have been the case
had Chang won. Meanwhile lhe
interests Of foreigners in general and
Americans in particular will not be
affected very greatly.
note by today's cables from
Peking. that it is reported President
Hsu Shih Chang is to remain IN
office until October. 1928. However
that NAV be. there is. OF course, no
question that Wu and his associates
will dominate the political situation.
WI is an educated man, which
Chang Is not. He has broad views.
and will do whatever he can for ths
advancement of China. ! do NOT
believe WI aspires TO be President OF
China. but his influence will be great
ly felt One of his generals. FenG'
, is a Christian and an able soldler'
and very close 10 WI.
Only a FACTION Fight.
Perhaps It is not understood gem
| orally in the United states thst
the present warfare is simply
fight between two factions. of
which there are many in CHINA.
The occupation of Peking gives WI
no particular advantage. 80 far as
control of China in general is con
cerned. The political situation
there is paralleled by that OF no other
country in the world
The great difficulty Is that ths
republic Is so vast that there
no means of communication win
many remote provinces except ny
far slower methods. Some OF INV
provinces are themselves as large
as France and have their own local
governments. This makes contro'
Of these sections OF the repuoho
from Peking exceedingly uiiiicui''
as may be imagined
No Settlement Soon.
The result OF this and other condl'
tions will be- as | see IL, that Ch;na
will be perhaps as long as the Cnited
States were in the beginning OF their
existence in struggling its way out
toward a permanent and representa-
tive republican form Of government.
Possibly the country may flnd IL
self. TO a large extent, in a couple
OF generations, but the estaolish'
ment Of foundation such as that
OF the United States is bound TO pe
slow process. for north, central
and south China must be brought
together and work in harmony,
which now they do not.
look for loose. .iointed asso.
citation of Wu's adherents and
others as a result of Wu's victory.
Just what will evolve from this. OF
course. remains to be seen.
Charleton Baker, an American,
who was United States consul at
Mukden, is an adviser Of Chang,
/ and no doubt has made suggestions
| for his guidance. Ray Anderson,
another American and an able man,
who was at one time identined
with the Standard OIL interests In
China. recently visited Chang at
| the suggestion OF the WI faction
for the purpose of discussing the
situation. What the immediate re-
suits Of his visit were I do not
| know.
! 1t is generally supposed In China
! that Chang has been receiving sup
port from the Japanese. and it nn,7
be that this supposition is incorrect
| but like many other presumptions\
! in China, must be accepted with &
grain Of salt. Sun Vat Sen, is in
volved in the present conflict. and
is giving his aid to Chang because
he believes Chang is working for
the unifiCation OF China, but Sens
| armed forces are not great.
In conclusion, / may saw that even
! the Americans in China are bewild-
cred by the present political situa-
ton. and that the best thing for
Americans there and elsewhere is 10
keep out Of the present trouble In
every way and let the Chinese settle
II themselves.