Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
Amazing Rise of the New China
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the cabinet position of minister of
finance was bestowed upon him. His
| financial abilities are sufficiently
shown by the fact that when / was
in Canton, the currency of the bank
was worth $1.10 silver for a dollar
note.
We spent one night going through
his books and they showed amazing
figures. Whereas the total collections
in 1925 were 5000. 900 ounces of silver
ian ounce. or tael, being IS cents
United States), he had collected co.
100000 ounces by October. 1926, and
was confident the same territory
would yield 120,00O.0OO in another
year. A veritable Alexander Hamilton
of new nation, he has induced and
cOerced the Chinese people into regu-
larly paying taxes for probably the
first time in their history.
This great work could, of course,
only have been accomplished by the
faithful assistance of his two COM
panions, Gen. Chang and Michael
Borodin. The latter supplied the pro-
paganda which made Chinese mer-
chants and peasants willing to pay
taxes. Gen. Chang supplied the quiet
persons not willing to give up their
squeeze on the revenues, and the
necessary urge for the populace in
districts which felt that Nationalism
was costing them too dear.
x !: X x
The young man who has done this
is now SO years Old-a splendid up
standing, unexcitable man, over six
feet In his stockings, unmarried,
whose only diversions are riding a
great black charger through the ave-
nueS of Canton in the hours of dawn,
and an occasional card game with a
friend. He is never hurried, always
has time to talk and has abolished
the Chinese system of a retinue of
guards and clerks about his desk. His
is the first desk in his office at the
ministry of finance and the door is
open. Any one may go in and address
him directly, but if he has nothing to
say he is likely to find himself We
quickly out of the door.
Soong Is a careful student of Dolit-
ical developments of other countries,
and 1 found him giving especially
keen attention to a criticism of the
career of Premier Stanley Baldwin of
Great Britain. He had underlined one
phrase which is an index to his prac-
teal mind. Public men," it read,
must have ideals. but they must
remember that the public will give
them credit only for their accomplish
ments."
He cannot be stampeded. When /
asked him what he intended to do
about the protests of the American
and other governments against his
new customs taxes he said smilingly,
II keep wide-open wastebasket
here"
Soong has now gone with most of
the Nationalist headquarters from
Canton 1900 miles across country &c
Hankow on the River Yangtse, and he
Is organizing for the Nationalist gov.
eminent of the YangtZe Valley the
same work which he did in Canton.
Gen. Chang Kai-shek, the military
hero Of the new movement, who has
announced he will take Shanghai
within the next few weeks, is better
known. He Is the son of another one
of DIR. Sun Yat-sen's early hackers,
38, vigorous, and as stern as Crom
well. His life up to three years ago
was spent in frivolity and dissipation.
Just before he died, DIR. Sun turned
him from this life by making him
head of his new Canton Military
Academy. There use was made OF
the thorough military education he
had received in Japan, Here he com
manded q facultySof so Russian otti-