Evening star., 1923-07-08
PLAIN DIRT Farmer
|. DOMINATES CHINA
Tsao Plants While Friends
Shift His Troops and
Buy His Votes.
BY JUNIUs b. wOOD.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily New
Copyright, 1923


By Cable to The Star snd Chicago Daily News.
Copyright, 1923.
PEKING. July 7.-While his politi-
cal aides here are buying tho votes
Of parliament members and his po-
litical lieutenants are shifting troops
under his command to strategical
positions. Marshal Paaokun.. candi-
date for president and dominant fig
ures In Chinese government. affairs,
is quietly planting trees on his big
estate at Paotingfu, ninety miles
south Of Peking.
Visited there by tho writer. the
ranking senior Of China's three
grand marshals and the nominal head
Of the central governme ent's military
forces, denied that he 10 ambitious to
declared himself wiling III the peo-
pie want him." Soft voiced, speaking
almost hesitatingly. he impresses
one more as fatherly Chinese
farmer than as the naughty war lord.
such as he has been pictured.
Need Central Rule.
Personally" no said. T want to
see the question OF the presidency
and the selecting Of q cabinet quickly
settled. China needs q strong cen-
trail government in order to compel
the various provincial governments
to obey It's mandates and function
properly. Once we have a central
government that commands respect
there will be no difficulty In solving
China's financial and military prob
lens.
'I am in favor of creating q COM
mission composed of representative
Chinese business men to work out the
problem of foreign debts and the
creation of sinking fund to meet
our national obligations after such
a commission has worked out the
terms Of payment. There have been
much empty talk and much waving
of flags regarding troop disbandment.
That will come about naturally when
| the country has been restored to
normalcy."
Cause Of Flight.
Marshal Tsao emphatically denied
responsibility for the flight of Presi-
dent Ii Yuan-hung to Tientsin. He
declared it was the natural sequel to
the ousted presidents unfulflled
promises to pay the wages Of SOL
diers under Gen. Fsng Yuh-siang. So
called Christian general" and OF the
Peking police force. He admitted.
however. that Gen. Feng. whose de-
mands resulted in the flight of Presi-
dent Ii Yuan-hung. Is under his ju-
risdiction and orders.
Apropos of his own alleged ambi-
tions to become President, Marshal
Tsao said:
"a year ago. after defeating Gen.
Chang Tso-lin and his Manchurian
army in their attack on Peking, I
could have become President had 1
SO desired. I restored parliament and
Ii Ypan-hung, whom I favored, was
chosen"
Regarding the great number of ban
dts fnfestfng the three provinces
which are a part Of his military in
spectorate, Marshal Tsao asserted he
had issued orders for the suppression
of all bandits between the Yangtse
and Shanhaikwan rivers and that
commanding officers of military forces
were reporting progress from time
to time. The military governor of
Shantung province. he said. had ten
dered his resignation as q result of the
Linching train hold-up and 1t is now
awaiting acceptance by parliament.
He denied having authority to ap-
point military governors in the prov
inces which are under his military
Jurisdiction.