THE POSITION IN CHINA.

Evening Star, Issue 19442, 28 December 1926, Page 6

THE POSITION IN CHINA.

Russian agents succeeded in converting to Communism two notable Chinese leaders in the late Dr Sun Yatsen and Feng Yu-hsiang, the “ Christian General.” Soviet schools were established in North and South, and the doctrines that were taught were that China had two bitter enemies to the fulfilment of her national aspirations. These were Britain and Japan. The Russian attack was directed against the two Powers because Britain had proved a bulwark against the world revolution movement and against Japan by reason of the fact that the Japanese statesmen consistently frustrated Russian designs in the north stretching to the coast of the Sea of Japan. In the earlier stages the “Rod” movement made apparently little headway under Dr Sun, but lately the Cantonese army, a'stronglyarmed and well-disciplined body under Chang Kai-shek, has overrun the valley pf the Yang-tee and now, threatens

the great treaty port of Shanghai. The hatred against the foreigner, always present amongst the Chinese, has been blown into a flame by the Soviet emissaries, and his position is now a precarious one. The Cantonese or Nationalist troops, however, appear to be ably led, and to be under better control than is usually the case with Chinese armies when they take the field. The outrages, that have been reported have been the work apparently of marauding bands. It is said that the Chinese temperament is opposed to Communistic ideas. The material help and advice of the Russians were accepted in the earlier stages of the movement, but a recent declaration by the Kuomintang or Southern Revolutionary Party is to the effect that it has no intention of being dominated by Moscow. In this statement, issued under the authority of Chang Kaishek, it is remarked that Communists, under the colors of the Kuomintang, “have agitated for class struggle and acted contrary to the constructive programme of his party,” and later reference is made to the “removal from party membership of the Communists and the purging of the party.” The sincerity of the document may be questioned, but it indicates at anyrato a determination not to allow China’s national interests to be subordinated to the Soviet’s ambitions. The statement endeavored to make it clear that the Cantonese Party was not only making every effort to appeal to the people of all China and to satisfy their doubts, but also that it desired to conciliate the foreign interests so far as was consistent with its demand for the abolition of extra-territoriality and the cancellation of the unequal treaties.

Britain, through her Minister in China, has submitted certain proposals to the representatives of the Washington Treaty Powers. It is suggested that these Powers should declare their readiness to negotiate on treaty revision and all other outstanding questions as soon as the Chinese have constituted a stable authority. In the meantime the Powers are urged to pursue a constructive policy in harmony with the spirit of the 'Washington Conference, but adapted to meet the present altered circumstances. This is in conformity with an unequivocal declaration made in the House of Lords last month by Lord Balfour on behalf of the British Government. He said that the policy of Britain had been uniformly In the direction of removing every legitimate grievance of which China could complain and of complying with every reasonable demand which Chinese patriots might reasonably make. That had been the policy of Britain, and it had not been altered. Lord Balfour added that it was the policy of the Washington Conference in 1922, and undoubtedly one of the main causes of the difficulties with which the Chinese and Western Powers alike were confronted at present was due to the fact that the recommendations of that conference were not carried out with the speed that the delegates had anticipated. Ratification had not yet been completed, and in his opinion much of the present trouble was due to that cause. Lord Balfour added that if anybody was to blame for this it was certainly not the British Government. He went on to point out that the real difficulty was that there was no settled organisation which had authority in power at the moment. What is absolutely clear from this authoritative statement is that Britain is anxious to meet China on the friendliest footing and to concede to her every reasonable demand, and that there is no desire to interfere with any decision that tho Chinese may come to with regard to the organisation of tho country, The all-important point is that negotiations cannot be entered into with the warring factions. When the chronic civil wars are brought to an end, when China has set her house in order, and when the country is governed by some authoritative body, the aims of the Nationalist movement, if based on tbe grounds of equity and reason, should not be difficult of attainment.