Evening star., 1925-06-04

There is a strike of 10000 Chinese
employed in cotton mills owned by
japanese and located in Shanghai. In
consequence of that strike there are
riots in the streets of Shanghai, led
by Students To protect our ma
tionals," four American battleships of
our Far East feet are ordered to
Shanghai.
At the distance of the antipodes,
the using of four battleships in such
a disturbance may appear like kill
ing a mosquito with base ball bat
until more is known of the real situa-
tion in China. That situation is re
ported as being the most chaotic and
menacing to world peace of any con-
ditions in the Orient since the Boxer
rebellion of 1900 The Peking corre-
spondent of the London Times cables:
China is fast becoming a serious
problem for all powers interested in
the Pacific
China is republic de jure. but a
group of many independent petty mil
itary units, de facto. all at war with
each other and especially defiant
against the central government. In
one province alone there are more
than a dozen military units, each at
war with all others. It is useless
eraliZation of the military chaos,
for what applies today would be OBJ
solete tomorrow, except that the state
of chaos is likely to continue
The inspiration is alleged to come not
from few ignorant pagans. but from
the Russian bolshevists. determined to
create unrest throughout the world
until all organized governments are
overth wn and replaced by sovietism
~ Il .~F@ = - 49,
China's approximate half a billion
population and present weakness and
Generalization of the central author
ity, and the avowed acceptance of
bolshevism by the party known as
young China" observers are begin.
ming to recognize the strikes in
foreign-owned cotton mills as mere
symptoms of an orga nized bolshevist
attempt at fomenting a dangerous
revolution. In that light, the prompt
orders to our four battleships cease to
be nexplicable. while mobs rule the
streets of Shanghai, and police and
legation guards are firing with fatal
erect against the rioters The cen.
tral government has protested against
the killing of Chinese rioters by lega.
ton guards. Damages will be claimed.
according to cable news.
X 4 :.
While the United States long ago
settled it's indemnity claims on ac-
count of the Boxer rebellion by Civ
ing to the Chinese republic ali such
sums to be used for educational pur.
poses, other nations have not been SO
generous. France needs the money
and demands payment not merely in
money" tpaper) but in gold. sew.
eral of the military rebels make that
an issue, threatening the central
government If it dare export so much
gold.
Great investments in Chinese rail.
roads and in business enterprises in
China have ceased to be profitable,
and creditors are clamoring for their
pay. Practically all railroads have
been taken by the rebel armies and
used almost exclusively for military
maneuvers, so that they no longer
even pay running costs, with no reve-
nue. for the foreign investors in the
bonds. Loans made in foreign coun-
tries, secured only by the pledge of
the central government, are in de-
fault, with no visible prospect of
either interest or amortization. This
includes 100000, 900 owed by the Chi
nese republic for railroad supplies
and other goods. Vested interests
which are centered at large treaty
ports are in better security, because
of persistent foreign commerce and
resulting customs which are pledged.
Such loans are safe, provided the for
eign traffic continues. The powers
threaten force to protect the financial
interests of their nationals in their
Chinese investments. In such event,
the powers may either act Jointly. as