The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-28

Blue Express last May has also come
to grief in the person of Brigadier-
General Sun Mel Yao. Like Lao, he
chafed under discipline, and became
source of annoyance to his superiors.
One day he was invited to feast,
but before he had time to enter the
festal hall he and his bodyguard were
shot down. This disposes of two
prominent brigand chiefs, but the pro-
fession is such lucrative one that
others have stepped forward eagerly
to fill their places. Indeed, so strong
are the bandits becoming that there
seems more than possibility that
they will be able to GUST the tuchuns.
This might prove a blessing in dis
guise, for bad and all as the bandits
are, their depredations are consider
ably less than those of the corrupt
tuchuns, who, under the cloak of
"law'norder," are squeezing the life
blood from the workers and peasants.
Reunlfication BY the Sword.
But to get back to WI Pei Flu. In
S1echuan he has apparently met his
Waterloo. At any rate-in spite of
earlier successes-he has received a
severe shock, which has to some ex-
tent eased the tension for Sun Vat
Sen, the Southern Socialist leader,
who has been menaced with Wu's
forces IN the north.
Ample opportunities have been af-
forded WI Pei Flu to help in the re-
unification Of China, did he so desire,
but to all proposals he has turned
deaf ear, including the Establishments
OF Sir Robert Ho Tung when he pro-
posed round table conference of the
various military leaders in China.
On each occasion WI has replied
that he believes in the Identification
of China by the sword" He is a typ
ical Fascist, with pipe dreaws of him.
self as the future Chinese Mussolini.
The Manchurian Tiaer..
Under fifty years of age, Chang Tso
Lin is one of the most virile figures
on the Chinese horizon. With no ed
ucation in his youth, his natural bent
has been towards a military career.
The Russo-Japanese war found him at
the head of large body of Hunghutze
fighting on the side of Japan. At the
conclusion of the war he was received
into the Chinese government service.
taking part in provincial wars and re-
ceiving quick promotion for bravery
in the field. Eventually he rose to
the command of the 9th Army Di-
vision, and in 1911 was appointed mil
itary governor of Fengtein. Up to the
collapse Of ex-President Yuan's mon
archical movement in 1915. he was one
of his most faithful supporters, but
when General Chang Hsun made his
coup d'etat in 1917 he assisted in re-
storing the republic. For this he was
appointed inspecting general Of the
three Eastern Provinces in 1918, and
in 1920 he fought along with General
Tsao Kun (now President) in the sup
preston of the Anfu Political Club.
A Military Nutcracker.
With the rapid rise to power of WI
Pei Flu at Picking these two militarists
became bitter enemies. Nine months
ago Chang was prepared to assist Sun
Vat Sen to crush WI Pei Flu, and they
undoubtedly had an understanding. 1t
was freely stated that the intention
was for Sun to march on Picking from
the south in the early spring, while
Chang attacked his arch-enemy from
the north, with the object, as it were,
Of squeezing him between the jaws of
a military nutcracker.
Since then, however, certain factors
interviewed which have materially de-
layed the putting into effect of this
military alliance, which bid fair to set
tie the pretensions Of the Chinese
Mussolini once and for ALL
Russia on the Horizon.
Altho Wu's position has been some
what weakened by his recent check
Fin Szechuan, Chang also finds his
hands full, for he has become en-
gagged in serious dispute with the
Soviets regarding certain border ques-
tons. Sun Vat Sen has been preoc-
cuDied also, for, apart from the pres
sure brought to bear upon him by the
foreign powers, he has, as already in
dictated, had serious internal orders
to contend with. Again, his financial
position has not been too secure, and
without a sufnciency of silver bullets
an active campaign In the north would
be fraught with serious uncertainty.
An Ever Present Danger.
On top of all this is the ever pres
ent danger of foreign interference
This has been clearly disclosed in the
recent utterances of Sir Edward
Pearce at the British Chamber OF
Commerce meeting at Shanghai on
March IL, when he openly advocated
an administration OF China under for
eign experts. While that menace
hangs like a dark cloud on the polit-
zeal horizon of China, her internal diff
ferences--which to all appearances