CHINA OF TO-DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11247, 27 June 1922, Page 9

CHINA OF TO-DAY

WESTERN IDEAS COPIED PROMINENT NATIONALIST ARRIVES IN NEW ZEALAND. THE “KUO MIN TANG.” (Special to “N.Z. Times.”) AUCKLAND, June 25. To t-be -average man in the street the present struggle in Oliina presents all the intricacies of a Chinese puzzle, saj’s the Auckland “Star,” but to Chan On Yan, newspaper man and author, and personal representative of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, the founder of the Republic, China is a living and throbbing reality, a* land of possibilities and actualities. No longer -a people living in the past. A people with a future. Mr Chan has arrived in Auckland on a mission to bis countrymen as the special representative of the Kuo Min Tang, as the Nationalist Party is known among the sons of -the Flowery Land. The present struggle, between North and South, is to him a mighty drama played on one of the oldest, stages in the w*orld, destined to play its part in regeneration of his people. The solution of this intricate Chinese puzzle without doubt is vague, or even more so than Air Chan confessed, but the aim of his party is quite dearautonomy and industrial and political freedom for the Chinese people. THE CHINESE REPUBLIC. The Chinese (Republic has been an established fact, more or less, for the eleven years. The prime mover has .been Dr. Suin Yat Sen, the present leader of the Southern Party, whose headquarters are at Canton, and to whom the vast majority of Chinese in .America, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands owe their allegiance. Many years ago Chan Qn Yan was a member of a secret society in Hong Kong, working with Dr. Sun and others for the establishment of a Republic. On May sth, 1920, Sun was elected to the Presidency on the retirement, probably leOmpuleory, of Chu Shi Chang, owing to the unpopularity of the latter, due ,to his Japanese inclinations. His fellow-countrymen accused him of pledging the vast resources of the nation to the emissaries of the Mdkad-o. The Chinaman does not love the Jap. He regards him with suspicion. That- is the attitude of the Nationalist Party. Since then the situation has developed into a fracas between North and South. AIM OE THE SOUTH. “The aim of the South is the establishment of a new Parliament, and the recognition of Dr. Sun Yat Sen as President,” said Clhan On Yan. “Tho Southern Party is supported by seven provinoes. There are twenty-two provinces in >all, out of which three actively support the North. The rest are independent. You can see the situation; if the South is successful, they will throw their influence in with them; if not the North ijill secure their support. Vast numbers of the people are neutral, and are taking neither side. For eleven years we have bee® trying to get a stable Government, and that is still the aim of the Kuo Min Tang.” He incidentally mentioned that three to four million supporters of the old Mandhu dynasty are taking no part in the struggle, although many of them now regard the Nationalist doctrines with favour. The Manchu princes were living in luxury in Pekin, apparently taking little inter, est in the impase. BOLSHEVISM NOT WANTED. Bolshevik -emissaries found that China did not take kindly to their doctrines. He believed that was one of the reasons why they had concentrated their attention upon India. The Chinese were not responsive to Bolshevism. Education is one of the foremost planks in the platform 'of the Kuo Min Tang. For a number of years Mr Oh an was an inspector of Chinese schools in the Straits Settlement, while in Hongk-ong and Canton, he had considerable experience in the schools. It was only by these moans, he said, that China could ,be , rehabilitated, and once again become a progressive nation. SUN YAT SEN. “Sun Yat Sen is a man of great experienoe,” he continued. “He is a Christian, and it was through his early contact with mission work that he be. came imbued with ideas for the regeneration and uplifting of his people. For thirty years he has worked for China, in America, in England, in France, and! in many laflds. ’ ’ He scouted tho idea that Sun- would lean towards America if he were established in the -Government. England would receive the same consideration, as her work in the East was regarded with approval, particularly by the Chinese living under the British flag. “We must have equality,” said Chan On Yang with an expressive wave of a carefully-manicured hand. “We must have progress. If China is to obtain her proper place in trade and commerce she must be Western in her ideas and methods. The Kuo Min Tang is a political party for the social uplifting of China, and to achieve this we must reorganise her commercially. Also our schools, our roads, our progress generally must be on Western lines.” THE WASHINGTON DECISIONS. “Southern China was not represented at Washington, and for that reason her aims and aspirations were not put forth,” he replied, in answer to a question. “We believe that ,t>r. Kee did his best, or at least, what he could do under the circumstances, but there is little doubt that he did not make the best of the deal for China, and was influenced by the Japanese delegates. He was guided by Japanese interests. He was not supported by both parties in China.” The Northern Government was influenced also by Japan, a position that was much resented hy a large section of Chinese, and by the Kuo Min Tang in particular. The Chinese delegates had not considered China as a whole at all, but the interest of the Northern Government. The Nationalists considered that the Japanese were looking for concessions and interest in China to which they were not justly entitled. They were regarded with suspicion.