The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-10-14
Interpreting
The News
BY JAMES d. WHITE
Associated Press Staff Wr;tsv
WRITER


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 1s-Y
There's a rumor going around ;r
Shanghai that China is about y, ".
move her capital back to peinira
in the dusty north, from Nankins
in the hot and humid south,
That would be something uLa
moving the capital of the United
States-if it were at Mobile Al.
to its present site at washington
ID. c.
Climate would be involved bn,
also would be politics and the FL
ture.
The same report was current IN
this country couple of years ago
It came from sources close "a
Chang Kai-shek, who at that Tina
was said to be convinced that il
would be a good thing to have
capital close to Manchuria vhen
that important industrial base was
Irecaptured.
II NDOA
Peiping used to be called Pekiny
meaning Northern Capital. As sue,
it was symbol to Chinese Of the
Manchus who established their al.
len court there in 1914. After ths
Chinese revolution in 1911, Picking
became also a symbol of the de.
cadent Chinese Republican regime
which appeased Japanese aggres.
sion. So in 1927 the Nationalist I'm.
der Chang Kai-shek took the can.
ital to Marking and renamed the
Republican capital Peiping, Or
Northern Peace.
After the Japanese surrender this
September, General Ho Ying-chin,
the Southerner who is Chang Ka.
shek's Chief of Staff, announced
that China's government would re.
turn to Marking from Chungking,
its wartime refuge, by the end Of
this year.
Now Shanghai rumor revives the
hardy report to the contrary, that
the capital is going back to the
north. If it does, it will be became
of high reasons of economic and
political policy.
Nearly all of China's industry is
in Manchuria and most of her
strategic minerals, including iron
and coal, are either there OF in
North China.
Chinese Communism is strongest
in the north, and if the government
were to move back there it would
be a bold reassertion of authority
which could gain it great and
much-needed prestige.
WOULD REDUCE INFLUENCE
Chinese banking influence center.
ing in Shanghai was strong in near.
by Marking. In Peipig that influ.
ence, as well as that of British,
American and French commercial
interest, would likely be reduced.
Possibly most important, return.
ing to Peiping the Chinese govern.
ment would be moving diplomatic.
ally as well as geographically clos.
err to Soviet Russia.
The new Chinese treaties with
Russia provide a foundation upon
which firm Russo-Chine coopera.
ton might be built, perhaps closer
than China ever built with Britain
or America. Through those treat,
les, Russia obtains an important
partnership in Manchuria which is
to last 80 years.
If China and Russia are to get
along, they will work out their key
problems there, in the north.
Marking was chosen in 1927 by
southern and central Chinese under
Chang Kai-shek. Around him now
are important Northerners like
Chang Chih-chung, Sun Lien-chung,
and Shang Chen.
Chiang's most immediate Geo.
nomic problem is to recover and
exploit the industry OF Manchuria.
His biggest domestic problem is the
Chinese Communist problem in the
north. His biggest foreign relations
problem is with Russia. His pro-
blems, and the inclination he has
to tackle them indirectly, may lead
him and his government back north
again to Peiping.
AS Picking, it was China's capt.
tai when China was greatest. 1t
would likely be called Picking
again.