Evening star., 1927-04-24


les of the lower provinces, war news
from China began to assume an aspect
of Importance to American commerce
1t Is probably not appreciated tc
what an extent Uncle Sam carries or
a trade with that part of the Far East
that is now at grips across the diff
cult waters of the Mississippi of the
Orient. However, it is trade that
affects Fifth avenue as well as WAL
Street; the cotton planter Of the
South as well as the wool grower of
the West, while the budding exports
of wheat and of indigo help to swell
sum that is well over $1,000, 000,000
annually.
Thus the present conflict. in the
very heart of the most thickly set
tied districts of China, is OF the great
est economic interest TO America. Ap-
proximately 5000 of our citizens have
been living in the international set
tIement at Shanghai. while hundreds
of others We're residents of towns in
the interior, where they carried on a
brisk trade that is now practically at
a standstill.
Most of the actual fighting of the
past few months has been centered
around the busy towns of Hanlow
and Nanking, which are of great
strategic value. IIankow and Wu-
chang are twin cities, like Minneapo-
lis and st. Paul, Wuchang being the
ancient Chinese settlement and Han
kow the new, modern city where the
foreigners lived. The latter is often
known as the Chicago of China" as
It lies in the center OF vast farming
country and is the gateway for the
rich wood oil that is one of the prod
ucts of that region.
Wuchang is a walled town, and
when attacked last Fall by the Ma
tionalists, managed to hold out for a
month until one of the enemy man.
aged to get in a gate by a ruse. 1t
has a radio station of considerable
power, and as the capital of the prov
ince and the site of a growing steel
industry offers great inducements to
the rival generals in that area,
Not far from Hankow is another
famous treaty port. Kiukiang, and
about 10 miles farther is Kuling, one
of the most noted resorts in the Mid
die Kingdom. This is a Mecca for
the wives of the officials and for hun
dreds of missionaries. who drive from
ali parts of China to spend the hot
season on the mountain top. which is
not only a very beautiful place but
one with many historical associations.
This garden spot may be reached
ing with 10 or Is minute sampan
ride down the Yangtze. followed by
drive in horse-drawn vehicle or one
of the two broken-down autos of the
metropolis to the foot of the noun
tain, which is part of the Lushan
Range.
The ascent of the $500 feet is made
by chair, which is carried by six or
eight bearers, who climb around the
many hairpin curves like so many
Rocky Mountain goats. Frequently
the passenger is left suspended over
an abyss as the bearers in front dis
appear around one turn and the rest
are still out Of sight. beyond the last
curve.
At the top of the mountain are sew
eral fine schools and sanitariums, as
well as Summer homes, and here the
homesick American may find many
of the flowers and vegetables such is
he is used to at home in the States,
as it is one Of the few spots in China
where they are grown.
1t is near the base of this range of
mountains and in the surrounding val
leys that the southern force, or 'Kuo-
mintang," is making its thrust for
supremacy against the northern
forces, or tAnkouchen."
x x
SHANGHAI, with its intensely cos
mopolitan atmosphere and huge
international settlement, cotton mills,
shipping centers and business inter
ests reaching across the world. is
something like 800 miles from Han
kow as the crow flies
1t is protected by a volunteer mill
tary force of its own, and though this
Is said to have only about ] 500 men.
fYat tT1ad 10 hot ND gz dad
with every kind Of modern equipment,
such as radio, tanks, machine guns,
etc. AS the various nationals living
in the international settlement are
all members of this protective organ
1zation, regiments of cavalry artil-
lery and infantry would be composed
of the French, British. American,
Italian, Portuguese and Japanese res
1dents Of the city, all ready to fight
shoulder to shoulder against a com
mon danger.
According to people who know their
China it is stated that a man cannot
have a position in politics in the
Flowery Kingdom today unless he has
the background of a military force.
His word does not carry power. He
must have power behind the word.
This, of course, explains the enor.
NOUS influence of men like Chang Tso
Lin, who has an army of roughly 150,-
900 troops, though he is said to claim
twice that number. Moreover, he has
ample resources to equip and main
tain them year in and year out, and
they add tremendous prestige to his
political powers. Gen. WI Pei Flu, on
the other hand, is an example of a
general that has always been handi-
capped in respect to his personal
army, as he has never had more than
15 900 men of his very own, though
this force was usually augmented by
the troops of various generals who
enlisted under his banner for the "du-
ration of a war"
Unfortunately, at the first hint of
defeat, these followers were the first
TO recall that good old adage that
Self preservation is Heavens first
law" and Gen. Wu has frequently
suffered from the promptness with
which such patriots have departed for
safer zones in the area of the victor
ious general Of the opposition. In
TACT, the start of this present trouble,
- far as Hankow was concerned was
.F3tA the enforced departure of Wu
tor his own bailiwiek in Honan, after
the fiasco last Fall. This defeat
might well have been avoided with
the arrival of fresh troops from the
North, but as Chang Tso Lin stayed
his nand at the critical moment, and
refused to help his ally, the Cantonese
had their innings and, with it, their
first big success.
AS a side light on Chinese warfare,
It IS Illuminating to learn that one
Of the vessels captured by the British
during a skirmish last year was
Thought to be loaded with ammunition
for the reyolutionists. When exam
sne-- however. she proved to contain
q large cargo of blank cartridges.
These, as well as firecrackers, had
been used on many previous occasions
10 intimidate the enemy, as was the
case during the time Of the Boxer Re
Lallinr ,sshen firecrackers We're set off