Evening star., 1925-06-09

government for the next few months.
The kuomintang Is protesting that
Tuan has not the right to settle such
an important question, but with that
large sum of money available at once
1t is hardly likely that any opposition
will interfere.
Tuan Buffer Between Chang and Feng
1t is reported that the ma jor claims
for the Lincheng indemnity have been
settled. If that is true, 1t shows that
Tuan is making d real effort to satisfy
foreign governmentS-and Is a hope
full sign that the chief executive is not
in sympathy with the alarming spread
of antiforeigniSm. 1t Is too bad that
Tuan is not given the support that ne
was led to expect when he was In
duced to take office as head of the
provisional government. But he was
selected as a sort of buffer between
Feng and Chang Tso-lin-and his role
has been that of a pacifier. 1t is en-
tirely due to Tuan's effort to make
every one happy that Sun Yat-sen died
gloriously in Peking instead of igno-
miniously in Canton, where he was
feared and deteSted and only able to
maintain his prestige through his sol
diers-most of whom were mercenar-
les from another province. 1t was un-
doubtedly Tuan's clemency which per-
mitted the vanquished WI Pei-fu to
sail up and down the Yangtse-un-
welcome everywhere, as he still re
tains his best troops and is only await
ing a favorable opportunity to stage a
comeback. To be sure, 1t was his de-
sire to save the face OF 1Iu lung
slang that made him send that general
as victor TO Shanghai, from which
port Lu had fled only a few weeks be-
fore-taking with him a great deal OF
cash and leaving his unpaid and lead
erless troops as a menace to the city.
If any one other than Lu had been sent
to supercede Chi of Nanking, the lat
ter might have left without fighting,
and the second battle of Shanghai
never have taken place. Tuan's in
|fluence tempered Feng'S severity TO the
boy Emperor. now Mr.. Pu 1Ewho
fled from Peking in fear of his lie at
the hands of Feng's men.
No Mercy for Tsao Kun.
There. is one person, however. who
seems unable to obtain either justice
or mercy. That is the eX-PreSloent
Tsao Kun. He has never been given
any kind of a trial, and is supposedly
languishing in prison. But is he! Or
has he been quietly sent to convey the
respects of the present government TO
his ancestors? His secretary was Sc
cretly executed by order OF Gen. Feng
his brother is alleged to have died in
a hospital in Peking while Feng was
searching for him to arrest MN. ut
has been rumored that TSao Jul was
seen later in Tientsin, and that ne hao
sent some man who was actually oE'
ing to impersonate him at the hospi-
,.JN to-
bought his way into the presidency.
He was q very wealthy man-the tam'
ilv fortune being estimated at S2Oo,-
600 900 mex-so a little matter OF
S.. 900 per member of Parliament VINO
voted for him was a trtilng present.
The whole system of Chinese politics
is poisoned with bribery. 1t is rotten
to the core-and has been for cen
turies. So. according to MS hght'
TSao was not an arch criminal loi
obeying his generous impulses towaro
the people with votes. In addition, ne
had been for many years powerful
military leader, and the head of the
Chihli party. He was directly in line
for the presidency-and preferred TO
buy it rather than seize II by force OF
arms 1t would seem that ne was en-
titled to a trial. at least, if not TO the
cIemency accorded other Vanqulshed
generals.
one projected reform which seems
to be assuming the shape OF prop
ability is the colonization of unpop-
ulated sections in the north by lam
lilies from the overcrowded sections
of Shantung and Chihli. Transpor-
tation is being arranged for $4,000.
TO be moved in three sections, within
the next few months. Gen. Feng has
proved himself a remarkable organ :
iZer, and as the plan is his and the
families to be sent under his Juris-
diction, he may be able TO work out
some form of model government that
will be an inspiration and example
to the whole of China.
There is very plausible rumor
afoat that Lii Yuan-hung may be
pushed into the presidency. He had
SO more days to serve out his term
as President when he found 1t ex-
pedient to leave Peking September
l1923, as Tsao Kun was plotting and
buying his billet. 1t is further proph
esied that when he is put back
where he was in 1923 legal elections
will be held for president and vice
president, just as though all that
had happened in TIE meanwhile were
dreadful nightmare. 1t would be
fine thing if the Chinese could set
back the clocks and calendars and
wipe two years from the annals of
their history, especially If they could
refrain from repeating it.
Chang. President; Feng, V. President?
One report states Chang Tso-lin for
the presidency and Feng for the
vice presidency. There would be
no one to run against such a strong
com bination and it might become a
sensational success, if it is in any
way a. possibility. One of the first
things you learn by living in China
is to expect the unexpected and to
believe the seemingly impossible
Generals may be bitter enemies one
week and blood brothers the next
week; one day offering 100000 for
the head of the other. the next day
|sending rare gifts and f1owery scripts
The truth is that each man is ous
for himself and he is only concerned
with the other when that one gets
in his way, or is able to advance
him for the moment.
In the bloody struggle for military
supremacy every Caesar has his Bru.
tus. But it seems that there are
Mark Antonys, also. A Chinaman
by the name of Eugene Chen is go.
ing to write an account of the life of
Sun Yat-sen in English; and those
familiar with the f1owery beauty of
Chinese SMILES, and their supercil.
iousness toward the wormlike truth
are predicting a masterpiece that will
make Caesar clutch wildly at his
laurel wreath, and wish that Mark
Antony had been Chinaman
More than that, there has been such
burst of post-mortem enthusiasm
lin some places alleged to be financed
by Soviet money! that all over China
memorial ceremonies are being held
in honor of Sun Yat-Sen. Every one
,, bows three times before his picture
and half a dozen orators tell the peo
r1o what WODderfl1I man ha @