CHINA TO-DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 142, 17 June 1922, Page 11

CHINA TO-DAY.

POLITICAL AMD OTHERWISE. THREE RIVAL FACTORS. (By Telegraph.— Special to "Star.") CHRISTGHUROH, this day. An American business man on holiday )n Xew Zealand after twenty-two years' residence in Shanghai, gave some interesting particulars of Chinese conditions, political and otherwise, to a representative of the "Press." The dearth of reliable cable news in Australia and Xew Zealand regarding Asiatic questions was mentioned by the visitor, who said that, in view of the paramount importance of the Kast in its relations to the Pacific, the lack of interest shown in these parts was somewhat surprising. The Chinese were a loveablc people, but politically they were the despair of their friends. There was a deadly inertia in regard to national affairs on the part of the masses that nothing could apparently overcome. So far as ordinary villagers were concerned, he believed that those who lived hundreds of miles from Shanghai did not know that the Manchu dynasty had fallen. It was the opinion of those who had been acting in an advisory capacity to China that she would have, as " the result of the Washington Conference, fifteen years of peace in which to put her house in order. THREE FORCES AT WORK. There were three forces in China to-day—the Peking Government, which had proved most impotent: the Southern Government! and Wu Pei Ku, one of the Military Governors, and the only one giving an effective system of government. Sun Vat Sen, who was first President of the Republic after the 11114 revolution, was head of the Southern Government. He was an idealist, and not always practical. Wu Pei Fu was the stabilising factor of the three parties, keeping the balance between Xorth and South. Chang Tso Lin. who had a great deal ol" power up to three or tour months ago, was really a bandit chief.

What the present chaotic state of Chinese politics would ultimately resolve itself into the speaker did not know, but it was safe to state that the Chinese would secure nothing approaching constitutional government, for they were incapable of that. They had an idea of government in regard to their villages, hut they did not understand the delegating of power to otherin national affairs.

" LEGITIMATE 'GRAFT.'"' When asked to what extent, if any, "graft" obtained in China, the visitor said there was a certain amount of legitimate "squeeze" in all circles, political, mercantile and domestic, and so long as the recognised margin was not exceeded nobody took exception to it. For inßtnce, he knew his "number one" ■boy in his own household had a 10 per cent arrangement with his tradespeople, but that was recognised by both sides. There was no trouble about it. In business Chinese could not work for an impersonal shareholder. A Chinese would be perfectly honest to his partner or his family, but in anything larger than that there was a risk. Co-operation, as known in England and America, was almost in its infancy.

BEST PLACE IX THE WORLD. There was no better place in the world for a white matt to live in than Shanghai. Markets were good, and fish, mutton and game could he had in abundance, though, as in all other countries, the cost of living had increased during the last few years.

In touching upon the cosmopolitan population of Shanghai, the speaker said there were a great many Russian refugees in the city. The extra territorial concessions had been withdrawn from the Russians since the revolution in their own country, and as a result they had suffered under the maladministration. Germany had lost her concessions, and he considered a mistake had been made in this direction, for it was unwise to place any white man under the jurisdiction of Chinese, for their sense of justice did not coincide with the European ideal. The visitor expressed great regard for China and its people, particularly the real Chinese gentleman of birth and education, who was almost invariably a pleasant man to meet and a very loyal friend.