TRADE IN CHINA.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17365, 29 March 1928, Page 2

TRADE IN CHINA.

YANGTZE REVIVAL. APPEALS TO STOP WAR. (From a Correspondent). SHANGHAI, Feb. 19. There has been remarkable activity in piece goods during the past week, orders coming in freely from the consuming markets, also a general improvement of tone consequent on indications of short supplies up country and of renewed demand. Tientsin appears to be most pressing for new supplies, but the Yangtze is also taking a share.

Shipping between here and Hankow; is now virtually normal. Fifty-one steamers, of which 35 are foreign and 16 Chinese, arc plying regularly, their ports of call including such small places as Anking and Tatung, which they had long been compelled to avoid. Reyond Hankow, both on the Upper Yangtze and on Ihe Changsha run, commerce is still paralysed owing to militarist exactions and piracy. The North China Daily News recently published a letter which had been received by a shipping agent from the local pirates, who asked for information about the amount of silver carried by his ships, with the dates of their sailing and other details to facilitate collection by them, failing compliance with which demands the agent was threatened with, a "spectacular demonstration."

Pei Chung-hsi, commanding the Wuhan armies in Hunan, has captured Hengchow, and is driving the Communist general towards the Kwangtuug border, thereby bringing nearer the consolidation of the power of the Kwangsi bloc throughout Kwangtung, Hunan, and Hupeh. So it may be hoped that before long he will be able to give attention to these river pests. Although the general outlook is infinitely better than it was, the improvement is so recent and there are so many factors which might bring fresh disaster that public confidence is still timorous. The insistence of the Nanking Government upon attacking Peking, which it confidently assorts it will capture before the year is out, awakes apprehensions among foreigners and Chinese alike. The popular view of the war policy is that it is due chiefly to Chang Kai-shek's personal feeling that he must justify his return to the command of the Nationalist armies. Kuomingtang politicians assert that the attack on Peking is necessary for the party and for national unity, and for the fulfilment of Sun Yat-sen's dying wishes, notwithstanding that Sun Yat-sen's last act was an endeavour to negotiate peace and agreement with Chang Tsolin, and that his so-called political testament is generally believed to have been written by Wang Ching-hui at Russian dictation. Distrust of Feng. Chiang Kai-shek is now at Loyang conferring with Feng Yu-hsiang in regard to the prosecution of the war, an essential part of which is the amount of money which Nanking can provide for Feng monthly. The waste of resources and the general disorganisation incurred by the northern expedition is the more regrettable in view of the important extension of Nanking's authority and prestige secured by the acceptance by Chekiang of Nanking's control of its finances. Kiangsi is already similarly placed in regard to Nanking. Anhwci and Fukien are virtually included in the samfe jystcm, and, even if Mr T. V. Soong's hope of bringing llupch and Hunan into the same agreement is not realised, Nanking still possesses important territories in which it has paramount authority. The gain for commerce in be-in"-"'freed from further irregular charges after a single payment at the source, as we are now promised, needs no emphasis. Apart from this it is asked why cannot the Kuomintang, which is now vehemently exalting the period of destruction over the period of construction that is about to begin, prove its politicul ability in forgoing war and devoting itself to internal reorganisation. From all I can learn, the Wuhan zencrals are by no means enthusiastic for 'the northern expedition, especially in conjunction with Feng Yu-hsiang, whom the Chinese generally distrust.