THE ROAD TO PEACE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 3108, 29 December 1921, Page 7

THE ROAD TO PEACE.

SKTTI.KMKXT IX CIJIXA. TIIK HEART OF Till'. PROF.I.KM. A ("II \X(M' KOI! STATKORAKT. Mr C; Montague Kde, an authority on Kiisleni alfair.s, writes from I longkong as follows on 1 1 n■ Washington Cmifetetice ;- When I In.! ro|»*ostMiiai i ves «t America. Prance, liritain, Japan and China nicci at Wasitinglon, statesmanship will have .succeeded in bringing together the chosen spokesmen of tiii! Powers in whose hands lies the desliii.v of lho Padic— men to whom lias been granted the occasion to decide Ihe policies lhai will breed either peace or war. Ihe eyes of the world will rest- upon Washington, in the hope that llie pre.judiees and conlliet mg interests wlnch in ilie past have led lo di.sttnsl, and secret frieiioii will all be dwarfed by the adoption of some common policy based on ihe e(|iia! richis of all, ;uid conlcrring i. ( l11:i) opporinniiies lor the exercise ot i belli. 'I lie task is not an easy one. hut it is a task that must he 1 shouldered d niieinational siaiesmanship is to save it sell from being discredited with impotence to guide the affairs oi men into cliannels ol most, advantage. Presideui 1 larding has 1 m vided the opportunity that has been so tondlv Imped ior, lhai has seemed so m mote of aehievemeiif. And China sits in die very heart ol Hie problem to be eonfionlecl, site over-shadows ibe whole ritual ion. The peace ol China is •m essential preliminary requisite to the peaee of the Paeilic. and the recognition ~f iliai fad must fust be made beton one , ;m | n( n.s upon the wider coneord as_ be iween tic several nations interested. If we look back to the dosing days of the la'e i.;„i|:ress Ito waver we find that the lorces of reform in Cliina were struggling lor an outlet. Men had risen who wan'eil to bring lo their uonderlnl country and people die benefits and advantages ol constll n lional reforms How their ellorts wete tesisied. how (he Mtdden_ death otUk* Kmperor and Dowager Kmpress in leOu led io the hope that Yuan Shdikai the able and reforming Viceroy ol ( bdili. would be able lo direct reforms, bow he | was dl-missed by ( mirl intrigues, and how ibe storm of often revolution burst m the L of 1911 is sullieientlyreee.il bisI ibry lo need only passing relerence. | '( HIXA'S LOST IIO.VKKiKXKITV. I ibe establishment of a Republic under Dr. Sun Vat Sen .was heralded by the world a, laige a- ihe ,-iarling point of a new and womlei'lid ( lima. Men who had ;pmo,-1 ile-paired of ( 'iiina achieving the greatness tiial ,should lie hers acclaimed die change and siw visions ot a unified people peacefully working out their own . social and economic advancement. lleie. jut hi-t. was the promise ol peace, conI lent mein and prosperity. Mhai has been i ilie result; where does I hhia stand today'/ Pactional differences, the loss ot jibe original ideal, Ihe iiieflieieney ol I hose in r. 1 11■ 111 power has been given, and the failure to ell cel domestic retorms have brought China to the unhappy position oi a country violent!;, turn acainst tlse',l and iimibio to jiresent an elbvliye voice In the internal ional alfaiis with which she i- mo.-1 vitally concerned. Me iind a. presiiletil in the* Xorlfi, a president in the South, ;t suggested presidein for the ( enIre. Factional lights between presidents and powerful Tncbmis are making confusion worse confounded. And, vital is more vital to the greater question of the peaee of I lie Pacific, is leaving ( hina open 10 ihe exploitation ni oihcr i’ower- sceptical and jealous of each other’s opportunities. To remove that scepticism and jealousy we 11,11.-1 remove ihe cause, must co-operate in an eiloi'i to insist ( Inna to regain het 10.-t homogeneity. The peace of < iiina is a.n essential preliminary ivqitisite to the peace of the Pacific. , MIX A XKKiPXC lIKLP. The world as a whole needs a umhed (.Inna: wants io trade with her, helping her to develop her resources, her laboui, her minerals, her raw products'. Iheie is an i1111;i■ • ■ i-' demand lor it all, lor imports and exports -room for every nation I,i eonl rtii.ile and to receive. Pull there ,-eems little hope of gaining I lull tmilieaia a i -tie* nniliciii ion that will dissipate ball tlie problem.-, of the Pacific unless die Powers linn are parly lo 11 ie Wye-In ijle 1.,;, Conference go lo ll fire), al'e. 1 lo as-isi. (Inna needs help, llnancial and moral. She ( all gel I lie loriiler in abend auee so soon as tin* (.nnsortitim is satisfied i 1,;,; i: would be .-pi in in directions o' her thin v astelnl. Sh, slmidd he proII sj-, *< I moral a-s,stance without ilu* actual skill"' ior U . f-tie needs tnoliev lit 'Jellll.. for die disbandment o! 1 antional troops, -be needs in-i-niiit e lo -■labii.-b a demo , ,-aiie federal system, wii’n each province -emliug one nominee lo a central authority which ' would have the itaeking of the oui--ide Powers- an short, her represemalive at die conference needs I lie open guarantee ot support for those prepared to undertake the mission of constructing tinier out oi the exist lug chaos. The 'individual activities and intrigues of the several Powers in disrupted ( iiina have done more than anything e.-e to bring about ihe position of obscurity that need- clarifying today. 1 ranslorm their filin' I s into a welded desire and at tempi to fun China where she ought to lie ami lia-i'e is instantly removed the trielion that has pointed il’.e desirability ol an nnd; I'-,.Hiding. i’y lilt- fate ol chance there is presented opportunity to accomplish two givai ends provided they an* taken in their Pinfcal -ei|iieiue. tile first being tin* organisation and development of the most potenliai ~ ,i: ;i iry in tin world, I lie second being lb,. ~iovi.-ioii of a common aim which will eoi 1.-, i! atat ,* Iniimi is now seemingly the \ n - lims ot conflicting interests. I here has been no H>i> r chance presented lo statecraft since 11 became the hope of enlightened men.