Evening star., 1926-04-14
WIrS ABILITY TO HOLD POWER
is LEADING QUESTION In CHINA
Result of Seizure of Control Probably Will Depend
on Completeness of Reformation and on Decisive
ness of Feng's and Chang's Defeat

busy making up for his defeat two
years previous.
WI. after his defeat, had been
forced to fly for his life, and he es-
capped with difficulty. But he re-
tained some of his popularity, even
in defeat, by refusing to take refuge
i'm q foreign concession. He found
a safe retreat in the upper reaches OF
the Yangtse River. and there, by his
untir.ng energy. his diplomacy and
even by means of threats and extor-
ton, he filled his war chest, combined
and organized the Yangtse provinces,
and became a threatening ngure,
ready to get his revenge on Chang,
who defeated him, and on Feng, who
betrayed him.
Cooperating first with Feng's forces
to drive Chang back to Manchuria,
and then cooperating with Chang S
forces to drive Feng's army out OF
Tientsin, and Feng himself Into Mon
golia, Wu was placed in the position
he sought. A cleverly executed coup
d'etat put him in power overnight.
How Wu had been preparing to un-
seat the provisional President, Tuan-
Chi Jul, and drive out Feng by care
fullN paving his way with propagan-
da. is indicated by the wording of a
circular telegram sent out by his
leaders recently, and published as
late as March II in a Chinese news
paper.
Faults Pointed Out.
Addressed to the Civil and military
leaders of the various provinces, com
manders of the allied armies, members
of the Parliament and of various
provincial assemblies" the telegram,
in part, follows:
1.-The intrigueS and crimes of Tuan
Chi Jul have been repeatedly revealed
in the kilograms of Mr.. Tang Shao-yi,
Mr.. Chang Tai-yen and members OF
the houses, we presume that his con-
demnable faults are already known to
everybody in the country and il is not
necessary for us to enumerate them
herein.
ION December "a, last year. Pei-fu
issued circular telegram advocating
the national constitution as a means
to save the country from the chaotic
conditions. and promising to be lenient
with what having been done If Tuan
Chi-jui is prepared to walk co-opera-
lively in the right path. Unfortunate
ly, Tuan has been so obstinate that he
continues to cherish evil ambitions
and seek personal gains at the expense
of national sovereignty.
when our armies routed the enemy
forces at Sinyang and Kioshan we
have discovered in their nests count
less bolshevist booklets addressed to
the peasants and workers of the coun-
Try. 1t is evident that the kuominchu
has become bolshevist and is doing its
best to establish a bolsheviStic regime
in this country, and Feng Yu-Hsiang
is the leader of the whole gang.
''Tuan Chi-jui is not only powerless
to prevent their intrigues, he is will
ing to help the tiger to execute its
evil. Since CHA Teh-yao became act
ing premier a regular Red govern
ment has been instituted in Peking
and everything has been done to
strengthen the position of the great
bandit, Feng' YuHsiang.
Critical Point Near.
The national condition is certainly
approaching a critical point and it is
impossible for us. Pei-fu and the rest
to stand aside any longer"
The names signed to the telegram
are interesting in that they will bear
watching during the developments
which are to follow Wu's victory.
They are: WI Pei-fu, Chi Hsieh-yuan,
Chang Tsung-chang, Lii Chingling,
Chen CHA Mou, Tu Shih-chun, Chin
Yun-ao, Lu Chin-San, Kow Yin-chieh,
Shu Yu-Pu, Pi Shou-chen. Hsu- Kun,
Cheng Koh-jui, Sun Chung -hsien,
Wang Tih, Liu Tsolung, Chang
Liang- -sheng. Tien Wei-chin. Wang
Wei-wei, Wang Tu-ching, Yang Sen
Liu Cheng-hua, Wu Sin-tien, Chang
Chi-kung, Ma Chi.
One of the most interesting ques.
tions brought about by Wu's restora.
tion is that concerning Soviet Russia
In Feng's withdrawal from the scene
Russia has lost a valuable tool. In
the popular mind WI stands for
China. He represents neither Japan
nor Russia. This gives him at once
| a popular appeal, which may allow
him to absorb and completely domi
nate the remaining Feng forces which
were under the influence of Russia.
WI is pictured as being of higher
intellectual caliber than either of the
other two war lords-Feng and Chang
In addition to being a student of the
Chinese classics, he eXcels in leader
ship and is a skilled soldier. When he
| was in power he was despotic, arbi
trary and bore the reputation of being
a hard drinker. After his defeat and
while he was preparing himself for
his attempt to regain lost power, he
is said to have reformed and laid aside
some of his bad habits.
The extent of this reformation re
| mains, however, to be seen.