San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-14
Probable Next President
Of Republic Resides in
Paoting-fu and Is Access
sible to Visitors.
by JUNIUS b. WOOD.
Special Cable to The San Antonio Light
and the Chicago Daily News.

Copyright. 1928.
Peking, China, Aug. 14.-Tsao Kun,
China's senior marshal and foremost
militarist, probable next president of
the republic and the center of disor-
ders from bandits to fallen min
istries. is the most talked of person
age in China today. He is a figure
in the mysterious background, pulling
hidden wires to move puppetlike presi-
dents. ministers and armies-pictured
as a grim and relentless warrior. a
man who has been seen by so few of
China's 400.000.000 or the other mil
lions of the world who read about
him that his name almost seems a
mythical bugab0o. Marshal Tsoa lives
in Paoting-fu. 91 miles south OF Pek-
ing, fancied as a grim fortress where
strangers cannot enter, voicing awe
some DEGREES and marching forth arm.
les TO turn China upside-down and
4frighten venerable foreign ministers
into sending alarmist cables home.
In the popular mind, Tsao Kun
personifies the execrated militarism
of China. He is the doyen of the Peiy-.
ang militarists, the "West Point" OF
Manchu days. He is military head of
by the latest fortune of war controls
Picking and gets the recognition OF
foreign powers as "the" government
of China. He is the ranking marshal
of China-Tuan Chi-jui. leader OF the
Anfu party and his senior fellow IN
structor at Peiyang having retired
while WI Peifu. his fighting assist
ant. and Chang Tso-lin, no longer rec
ognized. are both of younger genera
ton. Officially. Marshal Tsao Kun Is
super-tuchun. inspector-general OF
the three provinces of Chilli. Shan
tung and Honan, where bandits play
and where most of the uproars oil
China start He fills all specifications
as a hard character.
A Call on Marshal TsaO,
An unannounced call on Marshal
Tsao promised to be interesting. An
American movie photographer and u
former Chinese newspaperman as flXer
and Interpreter were in the party
Paoting-fu is as easy of entrance as
any walled city in daylight. n tele-
phone message brought one of the
marshars automobiles to the railroad
station and it had right-of-way
through his walled-in grounds to the
front steps. After an hours wait in
the reception room, the house showed
signs Of life. .
A stalwart man in loose fitting
linen suit. European in cut, and
wrinkled from wear. smiling and with
twinkling eyes. stepped briskly into
the room. 1t was the marshal lie
shook hands. talking at the same
time. The Chinese newspaperman in
terpreted--at least he said sO--for our
benefit. The marshal motioned TO four
chairs around the little center table
with its regulation layout of ash trays
matches. tea cups and smokes. There
was no need for him to explain that
- does not stand on formality.
Marshal Tsao does not fulfill the
popular picture of a militarist. Even
his mustache does not "bristle fierce
". as militarists' mustaches. are sup
posed to do. 1t is thick and long and
would be dropping il he were not con.
stantly twisting il into an unwaxcd
kaiserly upward curve. His head is
shaver in summer style. The nearest
approach to uniform was ppnderous