Evening star., 1928-12-02
CHINESE NATIONALISTS
FAIL TO CALM COUNTRY
Banditry Thrives and Officials Intri que
for Revenue While Discomfort
Seethes Through Nation.

| that he has been in a way betrayed
and is being exploited for the benefit
of what appears to him merely another
and almost an alien-set of military
| overlordS. Or at least for the benefit
of a government of Southern politicians
who are unsympathetic to his state.
! Thus the rise to power in the North
| of a single powerful military leader
perhaps Feng Yu-hSiang who is a
Northerner himself-might meet with
strong popular approval. Feng is in
ordinateiy ambitious, is a secretive ana
methodical worker and his loyalty to
Marking is uncertain.
Manchuria Issue Vexing.
Manchuria must remain the hardest
nut for the Chinese NationalistS to
crack There has been much talk since
Chang TSo-lin'S death and the extern
sion of Nationalist control over China
proper of the approach of complete ac-
cord between Marking and Mukden and
the latter'S willingness to abide by Nam
kings dictumS. Nothing in the facts
as yet justifies such optimism.
Even though Manchuria hoiSts the
Nationalist flag and indorses the three
principles of DR.. Sun Yat-sen, it is
the determination of both the older
and younger statesmen and military
chiefs that there be no Southern
meddling with Manchurian affairs.
Even leaving Japan out Of the question
this appears to be the fact, and Japan
is watching affairs like a hawk and
will brook the introduction of no ele-
mentS that might react on her holdings
and interests even though she straight
ems out her treaty problem with Nam
king.
Maintains Large Army.
Mukden is maintaining large army
on the border at Shanhaikwan, and
even for some distance this side of the
great wall along the Peking- -Mukden
railway. The Mukden arsenal is run
ming day and night, and great sums are
being spent for the purchase of powder,
arms and other war materials abroad,
chiefly in the Scandinavian countries
The preparations are upon entirely too
large scale for present-day defensive
needs, but indicate the determination to
resist any possible future attempt at
incursion, either by the allied national
1St armies or in consequence of the
apprehended rise of Feng Yu-hsiang,
who might work with Sovietized Outer
Mongolia. It Is surmised in some circles
that 1t means that Mukden contemplates
another drive for Peking and the prov
inceS north of the YangtZe, but this
does not appear plausible
Manchuria is tremendously prosperous
despite her paper currency problem. The
crops this season are more abundant
than In years and the general prosperity
IS increasing by leaps and bounds with
the continued building of feeder railway
IlneS-Which have also important mill
tary value-and the introduction of
millions of immigrant peasants from
Shantung and Chihli. It is an impress
5lve contrast to China proper.
KuOmintang Party to Rule.
Although the new constitution has
not yet been published by Marking, 1t
is pretty certain to contain the stipu-
lation that the nationalist government
is to be controlled and directed by the
kuomintang party. Probably the Chi
nese as whole respect DR.. Sun Yat-
sen and are willing to subscribe to his
three principles-which most of them
do not understand in the least-but
there are elements in the Kuomintang
most repugnant to the practical.
Northerner. and the idea
Of party control is bound to meet with
bitter diSapproval, especially in Man-
churia.
May Move Capital Again.
The permanency of the capitals re-
moval to Marking is still a matter of
speculation and many officials, both
Chinese and foreign, predict its return
TO Peking within a year. Probably the
wish is father to the thought. If it
does return in that time it will be
chiefly owing to the matter of expense.
Nanking. since the TAPPING rebellion,
has been little more than a barren
waste. There are no buildings what
ever suitable to the housing of govern
ment Offices, except some foreign mis-
sion property, part of which has been
arbitrarily occupied, but is entirely in
adequate. There is no water or sani-
tary system and no adequate lighting
system.
To construct a new capital there
must mean an enormous outlay, and
the government has not the funds and
no immediate prospect of getting them.
Even when tariff autonomy is instituted
the increased revenues must lie spent
on more immediate needs, such as COM
munications. It is not unlikely that if
the protocol giving the powers the right
to occupy and garrison the legation
quarter were scrapped the capital would
be shifted back Immediately. There is
no talk of removal to Marking at any
Of the legations.
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