Evening star., 1949-01-23
New Phase in China

New Phase in China
Although his decision to retire seems to
leave the door open for his return at some
later date, Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek,
after twenty-five years of leadership, has
turned over to others the task of trying to
establish peace in China through negotia-
tions with the Kremlin-supported Chinese
Communists His successor, Acting Presi-
dent Ii Tsung-je has already taken steps
to that end but even though he may man
age to bring a halt to hostilities, the peace
itself-if it comes-probably will be peace
doing violence to everything that Chang
himself has stood for, factor undoubtedly
accounting for his tragic withdrawal from
power.
When he first assumed leadership in
1927 the Generalissmo dedicated himself
to the three principles of the great Sun
Yat-sen-namely, national unity, democ-
racy and social and economic progress for
China. Startin" with his campaign against
the war lords, he made long strides in the
direction of welding together his vast,
sprawling country. AS for democracy and
social and economic progress, however, he
the simple but grim reason that more than
four years before the attack on Pearl
Harbor, the japanese invasion forced him
to concentrate on terribly debilitating
and bloody struggle that did not end until
eight years later-a struggle in which his
generalship and the heroic resistance of
the Chinese people combined to make
major contribution to the final Allied
victory.
With w day, Generalissimo Chang
and all the friends OF China looked for
ward with hope toward an era of recon-
structon during which the country free
and independent of foreign domination,
would be able to establish a genuinely
democratic way of life and move toward
the fulfllment of the social and economic
promise implicit in its spiritual and mate
rial resources. But the prospect was blasted
away by the Chinese Communists, whose
well-disciplined forces Immediately waged
war on Chang and his Nationalist govern
ment. For a while, during the year-long
mediation mission headed by General Mar
shall, there seemed to be a chance that the
two sides could be brought together in a
ended in futilty. The pace of disaster
quickened from then on. Corruption and
incompetence among Chiangs subordinates
weaknesses that had much to do with our
rapidly diminishing American aid-played
into the hands of the Reds. Above ALL far
from living up to its treaty obligations to
lend moral and material support. to the
Generalissimo, the Soviet Union gave aid
and comfort to the Communists, with the
result that they won victory after victory,
eliminating now in desperate Nationalist
bid for negotiated peace.
1t is not surprising, of course, that Chang
Kai-shek has retired at this critical and
perhaps decisive moment. Wholly apart
from Nationalist elements demanding his
resignation he himself made clear on New
Years Day that he would not consent to
a negotiated peace unless the Communists
accepted terms guaranteeing that China
would remain free and independent and
be governed under genuinely democratic
constitution. Knowing that such terms
would not be acceptable, he proposed to
hold the Marking Shanghai area "at all
COSTS" but powerful elements in his own
party apparently have rejected that idea,
and so he has left it up to them. under
Acting President Ii, to try to work out
a tolerable future for the sorely-tried
Chinese people.
With Chiang's great prestige and unity
ing influence thus eliminated, one of the
big questions is whether the Nationalists
will be able to hold together under Ii
and negotiate peace that will not reduce
China to the status of a Soviet puppet.
Another big question is whether the Chi
nese Communists, assuming that they come
to dominate the entire country, will even
tually develop maverick temper like that
of Tito's Communists in Yugoslavia or
Whet ether-With a veto power as one OF the
Big Five in the United Nations-they will
slavishly serve the Kremlin.
AS for the question of American aid
whether it could have done any good if it
had been larger or whether 1t would have
been neutrality-suspicious. seems pretty
much beside the point now. The point is
that Chiang's departure-though it may
conceivably prove to be temporary-seems
to mark the beginning of a profoundly
significant new phase in the long history
of tortured China And that suggests, in
turn, that the United States, having in
mind its position in the world balance of
power, must do some deep and sober
thinking about the grave implications of
a CommuniSt-domi Asia.