The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1928-06-15
CHINESE Politics

1--WE are indebted to the Ester
brook Steel Pen Manufacturing Co.,
Camden, N. j., for permission to use
parts Of letter to them from Null
Ter and Phipps, Ltd, export agents
doing business in Asia. The letter
was written before the recent clash
between Chinese and Japanese in
|Shantung.)
AS "a result of the disastrous war
with Japan in 1S94-95, Ii Hung
Cha, through his lieutenant, Yuan
Shih-kai, formed the necleus Of what
was to be a national army modelled
on European and Japanese armies.
When the Republic was formed and
Yuan Shih-kai was made president,
this army had some degree Of sup
port from Picking, but after his
death in 1916 this support weakened
and the generals assumed civil as
well as military authority, thus be-
coming ''tuchuns,' or military
governors.
The gradually weakening centrai
government at Peking became more
and more. dependent upon the sup
port of these 'tuchuns." In 1917
when the elected parliament met
with the disapproval of Tuan Chih-
+ jul, the premier, his power as dean
of this ''tuchun' group madefit pos
sibles for him to dissolve the parlia-
ment. 1t was this act of his that
precipitated the branch between the
North and the South.
Shortly afterwards the dcposed
parliament, which had much OF le-
lgality behind it, convened in Canton,
and started to build the southern
government out of which has grown
1.-THE Nationalist" movements
| Sun Yat-sen, the man who did so
much to undermine the decaying OF
Manchu Dynasty, as represented by
1.-THE Empress Dowager, returned
from vacation in Japan" landing
/ at Hong Kong shortly after the end
of the World War. He took the
lead of the Kuomintang, the progress
sive party, Young China" and was,
for time, supported by such men
as DR.. WI Ting-fang, former minis
tier to the United States, Tang Shao-
yi, at one time an important factor
lin the Imperial Government, and DR.
liz. C. WI and G. T. Wang strong
linen in the early history of the Ku-
Iomintang. We all hoped, and with
lsome reason, that he would bring
about a reunion between the North
and South out of which staple
government would grow.
Unfortunately communist ele-l
ment was admitted into the councils
| of the Kuomintang, and after the
death of DR.. Sun, in 1925. there was
some progress made, but the power
of the Red, element grew stronger.
Early last year, the southern army,
under the control of the Reds,
raided the Yangstze Valley. You
will remember the Marking incident,
| the taking of the foreign settlements
at Hankow, and the disorganlzation
of business.
1t is necessary to say that the ex-
cesses committed did not meet with
the approval Of the men within the
party who had done much toward
building responsible government.
They were empowered by the COM
munists working on the passions and
hopes and fears of the coolie masses.
Our government has been patient
during this time Of chaos in China,
because it was known that within
this Kuomintang are the men to
whom we must look for reconstruc-
ton. and we, in spite OF evidences
to the contrary, expect to see a new
and better China emerge, eventually.
Today conditions are chaotic. In
tthe North, Chang Tso-lin is in con-
troll of Manchuria and of the metro
lpolitan province with his base at
Picking. His alliance with Ching
Sun-fang, who is in control of Shan
ltung Province, where famine is now
raging, seems to be badly strained.
In the Northwest and the West
Yen 1Hsi-San and Feng Yu-Tsiang
are in alliance. These are two
super-generals OF the old school, the
latter the so-called Christian gener-
al. In the Yangstze Valley, as far
west as the "gorges' the Northern
branch fthe Kuomintang. The
"Nationalist government" Is in full
control, and in the South the various
factions of the Kuomintang are
lighting vigorously among them
selves.
We are hopeful that government
will grow out of the present disor-
ganization, but it will not be like the
old one. We think that we, as bust
ness men, must prepare for the time
when China will dictate her own I'M
port duties. possibly extra-territor
iality will be abolished. and certain
ly the bulk of the importing business
VIII be in the hands Of the Chinese
merchants.