mans and equips and trains with. out regard to the wishes of any central authority. He sends his own delegates to others provinces and forms alliances as though they were foreign countries. It was in the course of such an alliance that the Chihli Party was organized which at one time dominated the whole of north and central China inside the Wall. At the present a similar alliance of this nat the Fengtien Party which—con-trots AMfanchuria, Chihli, Shantung, Kiangsu and Anhui. These alliances are ephemeral and are entirely based upon self-interest. They usually set forth no programme for the reconstruction of the country and have only monetary interest in national affairs. It might be stated with historical accuracy that the whole system and all of the tuchuns connected with it are despised by the Chinese people, who have, however, submitted to the system with-cut Such @ protest as drove out the Manchu Dynasty.
'The Students' Movement 'The strongest uprising against the government and against the whole system for which Tuan Chi jui and Hsu Hsih-chang must beat responsibility was the Students' Movement which commenced May 4, 1919. China had gone into the Versailles Conference at the end of the Great War expecting the complete restoration of the former German rights in Shantung which were now held by Japan.
jews reached China that the Great Powers had decided to allow Japan to hold the former rights in Sh tung. Tt was also rumoured that the Chinese Delegation was prepared to sign such a treaty. The Students' of Peking immediately inferred that the government had made an arrangement with regard to this matter and that the huge ans which had. been negotiated were designed to keep China quiet when this decision was taken, The students thereupon attacked the refidence of three ministers who were held responsible for the loans and the "students and merchants throughout the country went on strike until Hsu—Hsihechang one heuneed that the treaty would not be signed. It was entirely because of this movement that China did net sign the Versailles Treaty.
The Chihli and Fengtien groups realized that it was to their advanc tage to utilize the. popular opposition to Tuan Chijai and the Antu Party for their own purposes. They.in the signing of a combined under the leadership of Tsao Kun, Wu Pei-fu and Chang
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.