THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 1930. ' CONFUSION IN CHINA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21101, 11 August 1930, Page 6

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 1930. ' CONFUSION IN CHINA.

Internal disunity in China is not by any means a new development. The Peking correspondent of an American journal recalls that for the last 2500 years China has endured a civil war or a rebellion of major proportions on an average of about every seventeen years. In Tecent years the average has been more than maintained. The revolution which overthrew the Manehu dynasty in 1911 was neither bloodless nor effective, and for sixteen years the Chinese people lived, as the Economist puts it, “in darkness and the shadow of death.” In 1926 it actually seemed that a new era was dawning as the Nationalists, who undoubtedly represent the enlightened group in the country, went from strength to strength. By Qetober, 1928, the Chinese National Government had been set up, and a new Constitution brought into force. The interested Powers hastened to accord recognition to the Government, and very shortly the Foreign Minister, Dr C. T. Wang, had requested their relinquishment of extraterritorial rights. Some of the smaller Powers, notably Italy and Belgium, acceded to the request, but Great Britain, the United States, France and Japan found it impossible to do so unless further guarantees of Chinese unity were forthcoming. Dr Wang intimated that extraterritoriality would be abolished on New Year’s Day, 1930, but his peremptory threat has not been executed. Mr Henderson, the British Foreign Secretary, stated recently that " negotiations are still in progress,” and remarked at the same time that a struggle between the self-styled Northern Government and the Nationalists was imminent. The truth of the matter is, of course, that , there is no guarantee of stability in Chinese administration, and the position seems to be about as confused as at any time since the Nationalists first claimed to have asserted their authority. The infrequent messages from Shanghai speak of the Communist menace and of the dreadful conditions existing in central China. It has been stated, though perhaps the figures are exaggerated, that in the past year 5,000,000 persons have died of starvation, and that 2,000,000 more will perish during the summer mouths. The Communists are difficult to distinguish from the hordes of bandits and the private armies of the various, “ war lords ” who are constantly harassing each other and the Nationalist Government. Sometimes a “ war lord ” will, for a cash consideration, side his forces with those of the Government; more often he remains beyond the pale, and the Government characterises him a “ rebel,” a “ Communist,” or whatever other term may be deemed applicable. The Communist armies, against the threat of which the leading Treaty Powers are consulting with a view to concerted naval action for the protection of their nationals at Hankow and other Yangtse ports, are spoken of as really groups of bandits, organised, armed, and financed by the Soviet agents. The tragedy of China to-day is rather appalling, but it is not without its leavening of humour — for the observer. “If this whole ( China business ’ was not extremely serious,” wrote Mr Robert Mackray in January, “it might provide a good deal of entertainment, and not for cynics alone.” The paradoxical position of the diplomatic representatives of the Powers not long ago, for example, as revealed by the Daily Telegraph, gives point to Air Mackray’s observations. The Legation officials remained in Peking, which city was occupied by Yen Shi-shan, the Northern leader-in-chief, completely cut off from the Nationalist Government in Nanking to which they were accredited. But unfortunately the position is no joke for four hundred million Chinese, the majority of whom are at the mercy of bandits and soldiers. The gleam of hope that the advent of the Nationalists inspired remains, but the present state of affairs outside the areas in which the presence of foreigners keeps the “ war lords” in check, is most melancholy. The prospect of settled conditions is apparently still remote, and even the most optimistic commentators find.it difficult to predict any immediate change, unless it be for the worse.