A CHINESE ON CHINA

Evening Star, Issue 20422, 1 March 1930, Page 5

A CHINESE ON CHINA

THE TROUBLES OF A GOVERNMENT A third and more formidable challenge of the Central Government of China is said to be under way. The first and the second were the conflicts of the Central Gpvernment with hostile factions in the autumn of 1928 and the spring ,of 1929. The Government emerged from them victoriously (says a Chinese contributor in the Irish Statesman’). He predicts that we shall soon know whether the third challenge will materialise. Behind it, he adds, will bo the following factors

“ (a) Remnants of the former Kwangsi group defeated by tho Central Government last autumn. Considerable numbers of men are entrenched in Kwangsi, in South China. “ (b) General Feng Yu-hsiang’s armies. Although General Feng him' self has been dismissed from all public offices, his group of armies is still intact. They are all quartered in tho eastern part of Shensi Province. General Feng himself is at present living in Taiyuenfu, in Shansi. ‘ “ (c) The Communists are the sworn enemies of the present regime. Therefore in any general disturbance against the Central Government they arc almost certain to be involved, “(d) General Yen Hsi-shan has «x* pressed such open sympathy toward General Feng that, although be is still co-operating with the Central Government, it is thought by many that he will combine forces with General Feng in the event of a clash between the Central Government and the dissatisfied elements.”

“For tho past decade or so,” it is recalled, “ China has had a . Central Government only in name. Now a new central authority has arisen in Nanking which claims to speak for the whole country. The problem immediately comes up as to how far the Provincial Governments will accept this authority. In other words, in our struggle to organise a modern State in China, we have reached the stage when a clear demarcation of authority in government is required between the Central and the Provincial Administrations. It will probably take us many years to settle this question of ‘ Federal ’ versus ‘ State ’ powers, but until it is settled, and the settlement embodied in a national Constitution, these periodic challenges against tho Central Government will continue to bo a feature in our political situation.” Rapidly sketching the outstanding features of China’s status as a whole, this Chinese remarks that the problem of China, Japan, and Russia, the three countries vitally concerned in Manchuria, is simply this: “ China naturally wishes to recover the economic sovereignty over Manchuria in addition to tho political sovereignty which she now holds. Japan, in order to hold permanently her economic rights in Manchuria, feels she must wrest from China the political sovereignty of tho territory, and make Manchuria part of the Japanese Empire. Russia’s driqf problem in the Far East is to and an ice-free, strategically-situated port as an outlet for her Siberian empire. To reach such a port her road lies through Manchuria, and both China and Japan are in her way. This, in brief, is , the international situation in Manchuria.” .

As to the Chinese Eastern Railway dispute, it is asserted by this optimistic Chinese that, provided no third party takes a hand in the affair, Russia and China will come to an agreement as soon ms Russia expresses her willingness to carry out the Mukden Agreement of 1924. Meanwhile we find a sudden tragic note in ; this writer’s statement about the famine in Northwest China :

“ Severe famine conditions are prevalent in North-west China, the worst being in Kansu and Shensi. The prolonged drought has killed any hopes of a crop this year. Next year, even il tho drought is broken, famine conditions will persist in many areas because the farmers have no seeds to plant. 1 was at lunch one day with one of the directors of the International Famine Relief Society. > He informed me that over 20,000,000 people are in dire need of relief in Shensi and Kansu. The Chinese have already raised several millions of dollars to help the sufferers, and are still raising more every day. Friends abroad have also contributed generously. But more is needed, for otherwise many tens of thousands must inevitably perish.” . , 1 On the other hand, we are told, all things considered about China today, one of the most notable features is the .rapid stride being made in industrial and commercial enterprises.