Evening star., 1926-04-06
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

The so-called Christian" Cen Feng
Yu-hsiang of Mongolia, leader of the
revolutionists fighting the national
government of China, is in defeat and
has fed to Mongolia under the pro-
lection of the Russians and Manchus
enemies of the Chinese Republic. A
dispatch from Moscow announces that
Gen. Feng intends to go into "volun-
tary exile" by seeking employment as
a common laborer in Moscow, whore
he will work for seven years. While
he Is in the Soviet Republic he will
study politics. from a Soviet stand.
point. A diplomat familiar with Rus
sian conditions suggests that the
Christian" general will hardly be
able to cultivate his Christianity
under Soviet influence, since it Is a
primary principle of sovietism to fight
all religions.
Some time ago this same Chris
tian" Gen. Feng placed in America
the largest single order for Bibles
wer given, but what he did with
the Bibles-since very few of his sol
diers had the slightest knowledge of
the languages one Of the mysteries
Of Chinese diplomacy. The purchase
was tentatively explained by the dip
lomat as a blind to enlist the aid of
Americans under pretense that the
success Of Feng would aid our mis-
sionaries in China.
< !: x i;
The dispatch that Gen. Feng in
tends to spend the next seven years
as common laborer in Moscow is
construed by one familiar with Rus
sian propaganda as meant to f1atter
the Soviets.
However that may be, the fact Of
Feng's utter defeat is undeniable.
His army-the Kuominchun-is brok-
en- up by the combined armies of
Pei-fu an Chang Tso lin. which
closed in rom three sides upon
Feng. who Was fortified in Tientsin.
Thus ends the "Kuominchun"-the
national peoples army" sometimes
known as the Communist army.
Whether that means also the end
of civil strife in China, and the firm
establishment Of the republic. re-
mains to be seen. Nothing more is
heard Of the two rival Tuchans who
started the recent conflict in 1924.
and then left their adherents to fight
1t out.
China is generally classed as ultra
pacifistic, yet since the Manchus
were overthrown. il years ago. there
has hardly been a month without in
ternal war. When two Tuchans in
rivalry with each other, Gen. Lu
Yung- Hsiang and Marshal Chi
Hsieh-yuan, started the war in 1924.
Gen. Chang Tso-lin, former bandit
Of Manchuria, supported Chi Hsieh- :
yuan and at first had the support Of
Gen. Feng. the Christian, but Fens
rebelled against his superior. hurried
10 Peking. where he forced the abdi-
cation of President Tsao Kun, and
set up provisional government,
which received recognition by the
United States and other powers.
X X i: X
The remnant of the Kuominchun
has united with government forces
and fighting the rebels goes on. Pres
ident Tsao Kun, who was deposed
by Feng, is restored to power and
the constitution reinstated, but Pc
king, the capital. is still under siege.
One of the most important achieve
ments of the Harding Disarmament
Conference in Washington, in 1922.
was the nine-pow agreement guar
anteeing the integrity of China against
further exploitation by the powers,
and providing for Chinese self-deter.
mination as to tariffs, for revenue to
support the central government. That
has not yet become operative but will
so become at an early date.
Soviet Russia, recognized by China
in 1924. has been active in encroach-
ments and in propaganda to stimulate
Soviet sentiment among the Chinese,
especially in Mongolia and Mauchuria.