Mr. Bruce Baxter contributes a striking article to-day on another page which, it is to be hoped, will attract wide attention. What he says was partly recognized when General Wang I-tang was vainly endeavouring to bring Mr. Tang Shao-yi to a conference last autumn. There is, of course, no real issue between North and South. The struggle is between militarists and civilians, with at present all the struggling on one side. But our contributor goes farther than thi There is, he says, no collective mil tary party as such. There are a number of 'Tuchuns and other generals each playing for his own hand.' From time to time they combine here or there for their own interests, not at all out of any sense of community. Just at present they are talking peace, because they are rather afraid the Powers may presently take action if they. do not. But it will be a mere piece of "look-see pidgin" to fool the foreigner on the old approved lines. The situation Mr. Bruce Baxter describes is so exactly in accord with all pro-habilities and experience that few woold reject it. The question is shall we ever get that united, direct and emphatic action by the Powers which alone can work a remedy? Some of them appear disposed for.t, others not—which would be rather others not. The result of that would be rather worse than the present loisser faire.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.