Evening star., 1932-08-08
CHANG REGA|NS
NANK|NG CONTROL
"Retired'' General Again
Makes Self Virtual Die
tator of Government.
BY Radio to The Star.

BY RadlO 10 Inc StSI
SHANGHAI. August g. From his
mountain retreat on the Yangtze River,
Gen. Chang Kai-Shek, veteran Of
dozen Chinese civil wars has, by care
full manipulations. brought about
virtual collapse of the Marking gcv-
ernment, putting himself again in the
role of practical dictator of China.
In rapid sequence have come the
designations of Wang Ching-Wel,
chairman of the executive branch OF
the government and chief bulwark Of
the anti-militarists; of Lo Wen-Kan,
minister of foreign affairs and justice
of Marshal Chang Hsiao-Liang, war
lord of North China, and of the minis
ters of railways and Of communications,
leaving Gen Chang and his finance
minister, T. V. Soong, running affairs.
Decentralization Is Root.
The ostensible reason given for this
shake-uu is the refusal Of Marshal
Chang Hsiao-Liang to engage il war
with Japan for the recovery Of Man
churia and Jehol Province, but in
reality the seeds of discord between
Marshal Chang and Wang Ching-Wei
which go deeper, are at the bottom OF
it. The roots of the trouble lie in
Wang's attempt to decentralize the
government. thereby robbing Gen.
Chang Kai-Shek and other warlords
OF military as well as of civil power.
Gen. Chang KaiShek has held out
fer Capitalization of power in his own
hands. thereby weakening the rule Of
the powerful Kuomintang party. Gen.
Chang for the moment appears to
have won the day.
Marshal Chang Hsiao-Liang'S reslg-
nation, which became effective tonight,
forms the most sensational of all the
designations. He had owed allegiance
only to Gen. Chang Kai-Shek and
had refused Wang Ching-Wei's die
tates. Wang resigned. calling upon
Marshal Chang to resign because the
latter was asking funds. but refused
to battle the japanese in Manchuria
and Jehol.
ypicaI Chinese Gesture.
Marshal Chang Hsiao-Liang's resig-
nation was a typical Chinese gesture.
He refused to be made the goat in a
situation that was rapidly boiling over.
Complicated as are Chinese politics,
the most lucid fact remains that Wang
Ching-Wei had realized that the time
had arrived when China must take
direct form of action looking toward
the recovery of Manchuria if China is
to counteract the League of Nations
commissions report due in September,
which must show China in the role OF
a passive protestator in the face OF
japanese aggression and conquest.
Gen. Chang Kai-Shek'S policy is
diametrically opposed to this. Gen.
Chang, as in the Shanghai warfare,
refused to do anything 20 antagonize
Japan or which could be used against
him when the time comes, as it must,
Hence, Gen. Chang ordered his
northern ally, Marshal Chang Hsiao-
Liang, to hold his own army intact
and keep the peace in North China,
but also to avoid a war against Japan.
Knows Attack Is Impossible.
Even Wang Ching-Wei understands
that Marshal Chang Hsiao-Liang
would not have ghost of a chance IL
churia. but as political gesture de-
against Gen. Chang Kai-Shek. Wang
ordered Marshal Chang to act contrary
to Gen Chiangs instructions. Hence
the wholesale designations.
At the recent Peiping conference,
which significantly was unattended by
Gen, Chang Kai-Shek, Wang Ching
Wei ordered Marshal Chang Hsiao-Liang
to be responsible for the retakl1g OF
Jehol and Manchuria, as well as for
keeping the Japanese out of North
China. Marshal Chang when called
upon last week to fulfill the terms Of
the agreement refused under instruc-
tions from Gen. Chang Kai-Shek.
Immediate direct Sino-Japanese nego-
faf4 CHANG Kai-
Shek as dictator. are not expected.
Gen. Chang will first have to prepare
public opinion and wait until the
League commission reports next month.
as well as select foreign minister who
is willing to obey his instructions.
Boycott is Strengthened.
This man is expected to come from
the north from among available figures
who have been educated in Japan for
Gen Chang himself astutely feels that
he is not qualified to assume the gigan-
tic responsibilities Of such negotiations.
Strengthening of the anti-Japanese
trade boycott. affecting coal, fish, cot
ton and other mmoditieS-Which, at
present. is more vicious than at any
time in the past-is merely another
phase Of China's attempt to convince
the League of Nations and the world
that it is not an idle spectator of its
own spoliation at the hands of Japan.
Whoever is named successor or in
heritor of Marshal Chang Hsiao-Liang's
army in the Peiping- -Tientsin area will
be OF little consequence so long as he
is appointed by Gen. Chang Kai-Shek
with instructions TO avoid an anti
japanese conflict, especially since Gen.
Cniang Kai-Shek refuses to make the
fatal error Of the late Manchurian war
lord Chang Tso-Lin ,father of Marshal
Chang Hsiao-Liang) of antagonizing
Japan