Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-26
BY VICTOR KEEN.

POLITICAL ana mlllIATy STOupo
| whose chief bar to cohesion lay
in mutual antipathy for the Marking
regime, appears to be no more.
| Weakened by military reverseS on all
fronts and sorely In need of funds, the
young government received a death blow
when Chang Hsueh- Liang, war lord of
Manchuria, announced mobilization OF
his troops for armed intervention, pre-
sumably on behalf Of the Marking gov
eminent
Yen Hsi-Shan, chairman for nine days
Of q government that was preparing for
dissolution at q time when 1t had not
gone beyond an embryonic state, Is re-
ported to have announced his political
retirement Wang Ching-Wei, Left Kuo-
mintang leader and civil head OF the
rebel government, has issued circular
telegram in. response to Chang Hsueh-
Liang'S peace manifesto reiterating his
political principles, and after delivering
this political swan song he has departed
from Peiping to join Yen at Shih-
kiachwang.
Cessation Of H0stilities Near.
After seven months Of civil strife,
during which the population in the be-
leaguered areas has been ravaged by all
the miseries of war, accumulated by the
6epredations of bandits, q temporary
cessation of hostilitieS seems near.
Whether the same cycle Is to be repeat
ed as soon as the governments foes
have had an opportunity to recover
from their apparent military reverse at
the hands Of Chang Kai-Shek depends
on political readjustments Of such
fundamental nature as to gain for Nam
king more Nationwide support than 1t
has enjoyed at any time during the last
two years.
Although the immediate cause of the
collapse of the coalition government
may be attributed to Chang Hsueh-
Liang's refusal to lend even his nominal
support, had the northern arms been
victorious the irreconcilable factions
within the rebel political combine prom
ised small hope Of any unity Of policy.
Four Of the principal elements in the
northern coalition were the Left wing
of the Kuomintang, headed by Wang
Chiang-Wei, the Right wing, more COM
monty known as the Western Hills group,
and the two military war lords, Yen
Hsi-Shan, model governor Of Shansi
Province, and the christian" Gen. Feng
Yu-Hsiang. Neither Feng nor Yen had
any official party status prior to the
much-disputed third party congress at
Marking in March. 1929. and neither
the Left wing nor the Western Hills fac
lions recognized the legitimacy Of the
third party gathering.
Anti Communists Ousted.
The factional disputes which resulted
in a cleavage in the Kuomintang date
from the death of Sun Yat-Sen in 1925.
During Suns active direction Of the
party an alliance was formed with Soviet
Russia, but shortly after the Kuomin-
. tang's leaders death the anti Commu-
mist faction advocated q break with the
Soviet. The counsels of Wang Ching
Wei, who then favored cooperation with
the Communists, prevailed, however, and
the anti-CommunistS were ousted from
Canton.
During the Winter Of 1925 this fac
ton called a conference in the western
hills near Peiping. The following year
the Western Hills group summoned o
secret party congress at Shanghai and
elected q second Kuomintang central
committee, which was not recognized
by the Leftists.
Left-Wing Leaders Barred.
After the Canton government had ex-
PEELED the Communists from the party
in 1927, the second Central Committee,
elected the previous year at the Kwan-
tung capital, split into two factions,
one supporting Chang Kai-shek and
the other Wang Ching-wei Later the
differences were ironed out and q CO.
; alition government formed. But fol-
lowing the Communist uprising at Cam
ton in 1928 the Left-Wing leaders were
permanently excluded from participa-
ton in the Marking regime: A third
party congress was held early In 1879.
Yen Hsishan and Feng Yuhsiang were
invited to attend, and for the first time
obtained official party standing.
It was charged that 80 per cent OF
the delegates were appointed by the
Marking Central Committee. Both the
Western Hills and Left Wing factions
since have refused to recognize the
congress.
The Marking regime, backed by the
, military support of Yen Hsi-shan and
, Feng Yu-hsiang. at the beginning OF
1929 appeared too formidable for any
armed opposition, but 1t was not long
/ until Feng and Chang fell out.
In May, 1929, when the Japanese
. forces which had been occupying the
Kiachow-T sinan Railway in Shantung
were withdrawn, Feng's ambitions to
gain control of q seaport were circun-
vented by Chang Kai-shek, who or
; dered that the garrisoning Of Shantung
, be divided between the Christian gen.
! erals troops and Marking forces. Feng
declined to agree to this arrangement
; and ordered his subordinate general,
| Sun Liang-chen, to withdraw the Kuo-
, minchun from Shantung.
Kwangsi Clique Rebelled.
The Kwangsi clique, a combination
of military leaders from Kwantung and
Kwangsi Provinces and the Wuhan
cities. rebelled in the Spring OF 1929.
Chang Kai-shek crushed the revolt at
Hankow and the loyal Cantonese troops
in Kwantung prevented Canton from
falling into the hands Of the rebels.
But no sooner was this revolt sup
pressed than q more formidable mill
: tary combination began to form. The
' new revolt included Feng Yu-hsiang as
we'll as the Kwangsi clique and had the
, secret Endorsement Of Yen HSt-shan,
who was supporting Feng while o6ten-
Sibly processing loyalty to the Marking
! government.
The rebels planned to strike stimuli
taneously at Canton, Hankow and can
ton, but the government by redistri-
, button of troops removed all doubtful
units from strategic posts and upset the
|, plans of the enemy. The signal for the
. opening of hostilities was the mutiny
at Ichang, in September Of the famous
IronsideS Regiment, commanded by
! Chang Fa-kwei, one Of the most bril-
, liant generals in the revolutionary
armies.
Chang led his troops through Human
Province into Kwangsi to form juno
ton with the Kwangsi rebels for an at
tack upon Canton. Feng was supposed
to cooperate by beginning drive for
Hankow, but he delayed action until
october, giving the government forces
time to defeat the Kwangsi forces in
. Kwantung and sent Cantonese REIN
| nr1fC IN ChTtCti0