Evening star., 1926-02-06
Editorial Correspondence of The star.
THEODORE W. MOVES.

H.
The real rulers. the actual govern
ment and the history Of China in the
immediate future are to be determined
hv a winning combination among the
three conspicuous war lords and the
half dozen minor war lords. governors
of provinces, each with his mercenary
army, big or little.
What that winning combination Is
to be is not much clearer now than
when the fighting began. 4 few OF the
original conundrums concerning the
relations Of war lords and sub-war-
lords have been answered. but new
conundrums. equally puzzling. take
their place The shiftings OF the ele-
ments of the picture are Kaleidoscope
and confusing.
Last Autumn people wondered
whether WI Pei-fu, if he grew strong
enough TO become again a factor In
the war game. would join with
Chang Tso-lin 10 eliminate Feng
Yu.hsiang and then fight out with
Chang the question of final suprem-
acy: or would combine with Feng to
eliminate Chang, after which ellmlna-
ton he and Feng could each spring at
the others throat.
Wu has not combined with Chang.
and has only slightly co-operated
with Feng For today, and per
haps for tomorrow, both of the rivals
Chang and Feng are proclaimed
victors Chang, after reverses, has
beaten and killed his former lieu
tenant. kuo Sung-lin, who deserted
and attacked him. Feng has defeated
the governor of Chihli province and
cut through to Tientsin. WI with
much of his Yangtse forces in re-
serve is. like Brer Rabbit. lying low" )"
New conundrums multiply. VIII
Chang and F'eng or their successors
now clash in final battle, and Will Wu
be able 10 come up comparatively
fresh and knock out the wearied
victor?
Or, in view of winters obstacles to
military movements over the rough
areas to be traversed between Muk-
den, Peking and Hankow. will Chang
until springtime, gathering strength
for renewal of the war"
Will Envy Destroy War Lords?
The most definite hint of the recent
Chinese fighting is that none of the
super-warlords has a strong hold on
his armies and his allies. Disloy
atty and treachery nearly destroyed
Chang Tso-lin. He has wasted his
strength in fighting with one section
OF his large army against another re-
. bellious section. He is bitterly wran-
Cling with Russia in his attempt to
control and use the Chinese Eastern
Railway to move his troops at his
pleasure and without pay. He poses
as at odds with Japan, which protects
at it's consulates kuos lieutenants
against torture and slaughter by
Changs soldiers. He threatens China
with Manchurian secession. He, with
his Manchuria, has been the buffer
between Japan and Russia and may
be crushed between two powerful
forces The chances are, however,
that his military skill in turning de-
feat into victory and the courage and
Nigor with which. using diminished
forces, he has demonstrated renewal
of his complete control Of Manchuria
have won for him new and full appre-
citation by Japan Of his value as an
ally and have restored his old rela-
tions with Japan.
Worries Of the War Lords.
Feng Yuhsiang can never feel GER
tain of the loyalty of his generals who
were followers of WI Pei-fu until the
latter's overthrow through Feng's
. treachery. Nearly beaten by the SUBJ
warlord OF Chilli, Feng has eXtri-
Gated himself and cut through to
Tientsin only by Russia's aid. His
triumph is not a Chinese, but a Rus
sian victory, and his life will doubtless
be safer in kalgan, his mountain head
quarters near Peking, or Urga in Mon
Iolia, or Moscow than in Peking or
1ientsin. where the local atmosphere
is most unhealthfuI. and where Chang
from thenorth OK Wsa0leul411Qeoutl1