PRESIDENT OF CHINA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20074, 11 October 1928, Page 11

PRESIDENT OF CHINA.

NATIONALISTS' CHOICE.

CHIANG KAI-SHEK'S RISE. MEMBERS OF HIS CABINET. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. SHANGHAI. Oct. 0. Tlio Nanking Government officially announces tho election of Marshal Chiang Kai-shek, Commander-in-Chief of tho Nationalist Army, as President of the Nationalist Government and tho Republic of China. Tho following have been appointed members of Chiang's Cabinet: —Tan Yen-kai, llu Han-min, Wang Chung-hui, Tuo Chia-yao arid Tsai Yuan-pci. Iho titlo of President is used in tin? official despatch from tlio Kuomin news agency, although Chiang was previously reported to have been elected " Chairman of the Government Council."

Tho new President of China, Chiang Kai-shek, was formerly generalissimo of (lie Conservative Nationalist forces. lr March, 1927, he proclaimed himself Dictator of China. Chiang was at one tinio the leader of a band of brigands, the majority of whom were captured. II is said that a warrant for tho arrest of Chiang, who succeeded in making his escape at that time, is still in existence at Shanghai. Born in 1886 in tho province of Chckiang, Chiang joined the Kuomintang Party early in lifo, but ho only rose into prominence four years ago, when he was appointed principal of the Wlmmpoa Cadet School. 110 then went to Shanghai to recruit some of Lu Yung-hsiang's defeated army. At one time he had in his school as many as 800 cadets and 2500 non-com-missioned officers under special training. These ho sent to tho different armies in Canton to reorganise and consolidate them into one fighting machine with tho aid of Russian money and guns. Ihus armed, Chiang, who had studied military tactics and technique at Moscow, staged a few bold strokes and made himself master of Canton. First he smashed Chen Chiung-mings' troops and drove them across the border. Then lie annihilated tlio Kwangsi-Yunnan forces and reduced Kwangsi (o tlio control of Canton. One by one his opponents were eliminated until he was the lone, master in Canton. Subsequently lie led his army on a triumphal campaign which gave him control of the whole of tho Yangtso Valley last year. After the death of Dr. Sun Yat Sen in March, 1925, Chiang, with (he Russians rWoditi and Galen, organised (ho army which in (lie winter of 1926-7 by its march on Shanghai attempted to carry out the political plans which had been laid. In March, 1927, dissensions arose between Chiang, who dislikes (ho influence (if (he. Bolsheviks, and the Communists in his party. The latter, backed by Rorodin, tlio Soviet agent, tried to deprivo him of his supremo control, denouncing ! im as a would-bo dictator. They' gained—for a timo at least—the upper hand and placed their organisation on a Soviet basis, Chiang being relegated to the command of (lie troops without any political power. But he was supported by other generals and it was stated that he had sounded tho late Marshal Chang Tso-lin as to united action against the Communists and tlio calling of a conference to consider (lie future of China on the basis of partition.

Personal Sketch ol Chiang. A writer in Time and Tide recently said of Chiang: "He is slim to emaciation. His eyes arc penetrating and deep set under pencilled eyebrows—cold, intent eyes. Ilis fare has an austere cast. But sometimes ho smiles, and he has a thoughtful and sweet smile. He smokes cigarettes in a long ivory holder. Hjs hands gesticulate easily and fluently. Ilis troops believe in hint. 110 has lead them from victory to victory, and often by subtle methods and manoeuvres has saved them from bloodshed —the Chinese soldier does not like blood and fighting. He refuses to adorn himself with any of tlio gorgeous panoply of victory attributed by the Chineso masses to a great military leader. He is not to be bribed or bought. Is he a military genius? That is a question. Russians have largely aided him. Without Russia's aid he could never have maintained such a long line of communications as the one he did maintain in his march on the Yangfse valley. " He is an enigma in both the military and political spheres. Two years ago he swung from the Centre to the men of the Left, and so gave the extremists in his group a new lease of life and Borodin added power. But; he quarrelled with Borodin, and seemed discontented with the ways of the ultra-radicals about bint. He seemed to be feeling his feet, to want to be master in his own camp, to desire the stricter subordination of the Bussians and the rejection of communism." Toward the end of last year Chiang was married to Miss Moiling Koong, Welleslev graduate and sister of the widow of Dr. Sun Vat Sen. Careers of Now Ministers.

Tan Yen-kai, -who was born in 1079. was the first chairman of the Hunan Provincial Assembly. On the outbreak ot the revolution in 1911 he was elected chief of the Military Depart merit, of Hunan. On October 13, 1913. he was relieved of his post and in 1916 became Military Governor of that province, being reappointed two years later. In 1924 ho commanded the Hunan troops in Kwangtung and in the following year was a member of lho central executive committee of the ivuomintansj. Hu Han-min, of Kwangtung, was born in 1878. He studied in Japan, where be met Dr. Sun Yat Sen, of whom ho became a warm admirer. Ho edited a revolutionary paper at Hongkong prior to 1911. He became Sun's secretary and went with him to Nanking and to Canton. In the rebellion of 1.912 lie was deprived of all rank. He was Commissioner of Pacification .of Tibet, June, 1913; joined the Canton Military Government and was appointed chief of its Department of Civil Affairs, 1921. Ho was Civil Governor of Kwangtung, 1922; Governor and generalissimo Canton Army, 1924; Minister of Foreign Affairs Canton Government, 1925, in which year ho visited Moscow. Ho is the author of many books on revolution and Socialism.

Wang Chung-hui, also of Kwangtung. was born in 1882, and became a barrister after studying law in America, Germany arid England. Ho was Foreign Minister in tho Nanking Provisional Government and Minister of Justice in the first Republican Cabinet. He was Chief Judge of tho Supreme Court. Kwangtung, 5921, ActingPremier, July-December. 1922, and again in January, 1924. He is a deputy-Judge of tho Hague Court of International Justice. In 1926 lio was Minister of Education.

Tao Cliia-vao, of Kiiiugsi, was born in 1871. lie was Commissioner of I lie Interior for bis province, member of fiio Ministry of Finance, and a member of Parliament at various times. Ho was acting-Civil Governor of Kiangsi, 1923. and afterwards Tupan for the development of the. port of Kiukiang. In 1921 bo was Tupan of Shanghai. Tsai Yuan-pei, of Chekiang, was born on January 11, 1867. lie has made a great study of education and spent some time in Germany with that object. 110 becarno a professor in language at Poking (now Peiping). On the outbreak of tho revolution at Wuchang he was elected Minister of Education, Nanking Provisional Government, and held the same portfolio in tho first Republican Government. He travelled in Europe and America, 1923-5. and returned to China in 1926.