Chiang and Chang

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21977, 29 December 1936, Page 6

Chiang and Chang

The technique of civil war varies from place to place. In Spain, conventionally a part of Christendom, even the Christmas season brings no intermission in the serious business of bombing civilian populations. China also had her Christmas enlivened by civil war; but China, in spite of western influences, clings obstinately to the remnants of a civilisation. While Franco and Caballero scream vituperation at each other from broadcasting studios and their troops butcher one another in the suburbs of Madrid, Chiang Kai-shek and Chang Hsueh-liang, their immobilised armies patiently awaiting the outcome, discuss their differences "as Chinese gentlemen should." And now everything is settled. There have been, it appears, faults on both sides. Chang, who is not unknown in Mayfair and maintains in the mountain fastnesses of Shansi a culinary standard worthy of Lord Peter Wimsey, has made the distressing discovery that, in essential matters, he is a " surly, unpolished rustic." Chiang, the greatest military and political figure China has had since Sun Yat-sen, finds that the whole episode is due to his own poor leadership. It is, alas, improbable that outside China the Chang-Chiang accord will be received with the acclamation it deserves. In Europe at any rate, rationality and modesty are not qualities which command a premium in politics. It is not likely that Herr Hitler will ever confess sadly to the German people that their troubles are due to his errors of judgment or that Signor Mussolini will announce to assembled blackshirts that he is a noisy buffoon. In Europe politicians are supermen; they do not condescend to argument and they do not admit fallibility. China's politicians like to be considered gentlemen and do not resort to violence until other methods have failed. No doubt they will soon be cured of these weaknesses.