PEKING AND TIENTSIN

Evening Star, Issue 17958, 3 May 1922, Page 7

PEKING AND TIENTSIN

EXCLUDED FROM FIGHTING AREA. THE CHINESE WAY. Press Association—By T?le S roph-Copyright. WASHINGTON, May 1. The Chinese delegation has announced that Generals W*i-Poi-Fu and Chang-too-l,in have agreed to' exclude I eking ami Tientsin from the field of military operations. This is according to nuvicco received from the Chinese Government.A. and) N.Z. Cable. JAPANESE NEUTRALITY. NEW YORK, May 2. Tho ‘ Chicago Tribune’s ’ Toklo currospendent states Unit tho Japanese have followed tho example of the British, and’ arn recalling the aviation instructors frprti the .Mirkden army attached to General Chang's headquarters. Orders have been issued to tho Japanf.?e Governor at Tsingtao to exercise tho strictest precautions to prevent a landing <it a Mukden force for the purpose of attacking General Wu-Pei-Fu through Shantung. Tho Japanese Government is determined to preserve the strict,out neutrality; but it is reported, that Sun Yal Sen is attempting to raise a 20,000,000 dollar loan at Osaka, pledging railway ami mining roncc.sdons in tho South of Chinn. —A. and N.Z. Cable. A NEW FORCE IN CHINA.

GENERAL WU-PEI-FU,

The greatest need in China is a Garibaldi wSo can save the. country from, itself (wrote tho Poking correspondent of tho 1 Manchester Guardian' early in tho year). Ami China seems to have found him in the person of General Wn-Poi-l'u. a man v.-ln a year or two ago was but. a. coinmaVuler 'of a Tuchnnate brigade, but who is now powerful enough to be able to retoco a snner-T uchnnship. Ho emerged into the limelight last, summer, when ho brake tho strength of Aufu Party, tho party that would have sold tho country to the .Japanese for a mess of pottage. After hi.- successes ho returned to his duties as Ci) mm au dor-in -Chief of tho Ciuhli troops (hat own allegiance to the supcr-Tuohnn, Tsao Kmi. Hero was a strange phenomenon —a general, the idol of the people after his victory, returning to. his former position, and, moreover, sharing tho lot, of a private soldier. It seemed worth while to inquire further into the character of this rara avis. Gen-oi.-1! Wu proved to ’bo a man of sterling worth, animated by a deep-seated love of country all too rare .in China, where superficial patriotism is most apparent. Tho humiliation of 1894-5 (when the .Tap-a-ncso David overthrew the Chinese Goliath with scarce an effort) left its impress on the young Wu, and he determined to raise his country from the slough of inertia that was 'poisoning it. Fundamental hanges have marked China’s history since henT but Wu’s resolve is still unshaken. 3is purpose has not been achieved' by^any c,ther man. Dynastic authority has been replaced by republican license. Military governors no longer hear the voice of Peking; they appropriate national revenue, and then turn to tho Government for the money with which to pay their swollen armies. Wu watched this gambling with his country’s fortunes—-and waited. While he waited ho trained men to bo soldiers—fighters._ Ho inspired them with his own personality. Two or three months ago ho was instructed to stem the invasion of Hupeh by its neighboring province, Hunan. But both sides were tai-red with the same brush of unworthiness, eo Wu and his men looked at tho contest from a distance. Tho Hupeh Tuchun, Wong Chanynan, in whose support Wu ostensibly entered the province. had to fly for his life. Six months before ho bad been one of the Big Three in China. That is the way they have in this country. But Wang had feathered his nest with millions of dollars. He could not steal money quickly enough, so he had l it made at his own mint. Ho left a province impoverished and soldier or bandit-ridden. General Wu then acted swiftly. A Hunan-Hupeh. combination fell to his arms. But in. she general lawlessness stcalthicr foes appeared. Anfu-ites and) Southern agents set the Yangtze Valley in a ferment. Hordes of Szechwan bandits invaded Hupeh, and Wu is now engaged in repelling them. He is holding Irhang against greatly superior numbers, and it is only his personal bravery and wonderful, leadership that arc .stemming tho onrush. But Wu’s task "would he light, if ho wore opposed only by the Szechwam-.-e. His unselfish aims have made him the enemy of many would-be provincial and national dictators. There is General Chen SJiu-Fan, the recently deposed Shensi haiuHt-Tnchun. who is intent on regaining power from General Feng Vu-siang, the Christian general, who now holds tins office of Military Governor. This Chen is in league, with tho Cantonese—in fact, ho is paid’ by them, and: will doubtless bo a Hasty pinprick for Wn when tho (Southern troops come north on tho muchvaunted expedition which, according to tho latest reports, is to bo led by Sun Yat Sen in person. Canton sees no good in Wu-.Pei-Fu. The salvation, of China, must, corns from the South, in. Dr Sim's opinion, and its leading spirit must be—Sun Yat Sen, The “ I'reside nt ’’ docz not relish any other ■form of government than that which, allows him it. nice meed of dictatorship. Then, the mighty Manchurian war lord, Chang Tso-Lin, is viewing Wu's rise to power with many misgivings. This satrap lias the biggest army in tho country—over 300,000 men—arid at any time ho may send detachments in Hupeh, allegedly as 'support?, but without a doubt to try to wrest control from General Wu. In his present struggle the latter has not even the help of tho Peking Governmentthe tool of Chang Tso-Lin—which first tried to bribe him with an office “in gratitude lor his services in repelling the ifunaneso recalcitrants,” and is now working insidiously to bring about his downfall. Wu is independent of Government taction or party; that is his principal title to respect. However, lie must have money to pay iiis troops and 1 finance his military commitments, and so he intorcopjs national revenue and diverts it. into iris own coffers. Affairs have come to such a pas;; in China that this conduct.—highhamlcd though it seems—is justifiable when you know the man. Tim faith that foreigners have in Wn Pei-Fu is not dimmed by the exploit. They know that ho does not take more Hum is necessary hi keep bis men paid, clothed, and fed, ami that ho is tho last man in the world to be tempted to enrich himself. What ia Wu Pei-Fu aiming at? Everything is illegal in Chinese government, whether North or South, except tho provincial assemblies, and it is through them Hint (he “ Ever-victorious General,” as ho has been named by tho Chinos© Government. hopes to achieve national unity and the restoration of civil authority. Ho has set his mind on a National Convention at Lushun, in Kiangsi Province, a place which bears tho tradition that anybody who goes there will eco himself as he .really is. Wu wants the country to sco itself as it really is, and then it will bo ready to sweep away the shackles of Tuchundom and: its concomitant evils. Out of this convention it is hoped a National Council will spring -—the foundation of the new Government of China on a constitutional basis.

In the fashioning of the new political order Wu I’ei-Fu will bo_ in the background. Ho recognises his own limitations. Ho says; “I am a soldier, and I will protect you while, you are engaged on this task.” ” Before the convention is called, however, Wu may have the stillest fight in his Career. Chang Tso-Lin, who •carefully parcelled out Chinese spheres of influence in China some time ago, will not tolerate for long such a departure from the old, Tuchunate order and such, a menace to hie power. But the Manchurian ;war lord’s influence is on the wane, and to-day nobody would venture to say that he will not go the way of Wang-chau*

yuan within a year. There is also the possibility of an alliance between Wu Poi-Pn and General Chen Chiung-ming. General Chen is the commander-in-chiot.ot the Sou,thorn, armies, and' a. man with idoala similar to those of General Wu. Although ho in known to ho tho right arm of “President” Sun, there are indications that harm on ions rotations between l the two leaden; arc not marking Cantonese affairs. Sun stands for dictatorship—albeit benevolent dictatorshjip—whereas Chen is a sincere advocate of provincial autonomy. If they would unite their forces—and the two generals might soon bo brought together — Chen and Wu could plant tho seed of nationalism in the Yangtze Valley, and the task of reforming China would then begin.