Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
WORLD WAR HELD CAUSE
OF REVOLUTION In CHINA
No Longer Merely National Disturbance,
But All Nations Said to Be
Involved.

Western. Moreover, the growing
Russian influence in China is for the
Japanese an increasing menace 1t is
IN Manchuria and ia Korea that the
most vital Japanese interests lie. And
here Soviet Russia may easily renew
the challenge OF the Czariss regime.
Thus, for Japan the Chinese problem
has all the circumstances Of the
British in western Europe. But, like
that of all European states, Japanese
policy follows the line Of least resist.
ance. Japan, too. is avoiding all ac
lion which might insure enduring
Chinese resentment.
American Action Important.
Meantime, too, for obvious reasons
American action has become of para
mount Importance. All British hope
has steadily been founded upon the
dream if not the belief that in the end
the United States would Join with
Great Britain in steps which might In.
sure the continuance of the West in
the Far East If this hope is now
passing, 1t must he recognized that as
a consequence there is creeping into
all British opinion a pessimism which
ii is hard to eXaggerate.
Since American policy seems to have
come down upon the simple purpose
to protect American nationals, cover
| their retirement and. once they have
been saved, to withdraw from active
intervention in Chinese affairs, 1t is
| perhaps accurate to say that the Brit
| ish are at last at the point of recog.
| nizing that the Chinese affair must be
liquidated on such terms as are still
| possible to obtain.
No one has failed to note and TO re-
port that while Europe has lost ground
in China, most of the gain has fallen
ITO the United States. We have be-
come increasingly the great financial
and commercial country, although we
have actually occupied no concessions
and claimed no particular privileges.
| But If our policy has been proudly pro
| claimed to be that of the open door,
when the door actually led into China,
what is to be American policy now
| that the door is being slammed shut
from the other side?
Cooperation With England.
| On the one hand, no one can mis-.
| take the increasing effort being made
/ TO persuade the Washington admin
| istration to join with Great Britain
| in q cooperation which sooner or
| later might easily develop into a war
with the new China. On the other
| hand, it Is equally easy to discover
| American opinion which holds the
Chinese explosion to be no more than
a repetition of the American Revolu-
| ton and TO celebrate the occupation
/ Of Shanghai as a second Battle OF
I Bunker Hill.
But it is far from certain that the
/ China which is now to evolve will
| feel more friendly to the United States
| than to European countries. For the
| present, at least, BolsheVist influence
| in the Cantonese camp is hardly like
1 ly to be lesSened. If one day China
I is almost certain to repudiate the
| Soviets, that day will not arrive while
Russian munitions and money are
needed TO assist in the present battle
to conquer the North. And ii is a
fair assumption that Soviet influence
will not be favorable to Washington,
as contrasted with London or even
with Paris.
1t is reasonably certain that Flu
rope has sustained an immediate and
continuing reverse in China. It is far
from impossible that in the end all
the bases of European influence and
power win be wiped out, now that
European prestige has been ruined.
But it is less likely that the China
which comes sooner or later VIII be
friendly either to the United States
or to the principles which have been
established in America and transient
ly re-echoed by Chinese students re.
turning to their homes.
Disappointment i'm Russia.
The world, the western world in par
ticular. has experienced one far-reach.
ing disappointment in the case of the
Russian Revolution. 1t was hailed on
all sides as the promise of new dawn.
For a few brief months the govern
ment of Kerensky was looked to as
the heir Of all the principles Of 1715
and 1889. All too soon, however, the
KerensSy government went down in
chaos and the Lenin regime rose to
control
What actually threatens in China Is
hardly less unattractive. Behind a
thin facade of Western ideas there is
Enthusiastically stirring a spirit which
is at one time expressive OF Oriental
mentality and influenced by Russian
bolshevism. Passion against the for
eigners is steadily rising, evidences Of
any orderly or rational control are dis
appearing. China is itself sinking into
an anarchy which is beginning to
brighten even the most enthusiastic
champions OF the revolution in its
earlier phase.
Thus, after all, the fall Of Shanghai.
like Chanak, like the outbreak of the
Russian revolution itself, may easily
prove one more of the striking dates
in cotemporary history. one more
consequence of the World War. an
other of those European disasters
which began in 1914 and after nearly
13 years have not vet come TO an end.