Antu Defeated and Expelled by Pei-fu: Dr. Sun Ousted from Canton by Chen Jgovernment. Opposition to the political activities of the Peking Government developed everywhere. Banditry, illegal taxation, internal strife, continued, Finally' on June 19, Li Yuan-hung's Cabinet resigned and he fled to Tientsin. An inter-
The Chinese Government now found itself in an impossible position. 'The revolt of the Southern provinces had lasted so long that it changed the attitude of all provinces toward the Central Government. Funds were withald, the authority of President™ and' Cabinet questioned. Foreign loans were impossible, The wrath evoked by the Ja} and the desire of the Fo) to assist China, called forth the organization of a new Consortium, which, however, declined to make Yeans ito China except under conditions: which unsatisfactory to the militarists, since it would bring them nothing. Although the Consol tim made no loans, it effectively 4 prevented China from borrowing. huge sums abroad. vegnum ensued, which, however, ended on October 5 when Tsao Kun was made President by methods. The Constitution was passed, Parliament continued to meet, bub the power of Government had' gone out of the hands of civil officials and definitely into those of a feudal oligarchy of Tuchuns and Inspector-Generals, the local provincial military rulers. Throughout the whole of 1923 fighting continued in the Southern
to rule Provinces. Sun, Yat-sen continued another Re-tween Kiangsu and Chekiang pro-1 vinees but that was averted by local The Party in power was the Anfu Club, a body of politicians and militarists closely allied to Japan:
1920, General Wu Peis fan army of Chihli troops feated the Anfu militarists, drove Tuan Chi-jui and his associates from power. Wu Pei-fu, who had hi-thereto played a secondary part in. Chinese affairs, now emerges as power, who has to be considered in. all matters. Curiously enough, although the Kuomintang and the Southern Provinces had opposed Tuan Chi-jui and the Antu Club, as soon as both were defeated by Wu Pei-fu Sun Yat-sen formed an al-Tiance with them. He opposed Wu Pei-fu now, as vigorously as he had opposed Tuan Chi-july when the Jatter was in power. The Canton Government, however, did not remain in power very long. ' General Chen Chiung-ming, representing a local reaction to disturbances, Sun Yat-sen and his govern: Grove them out of the South was in a terrible The banditry of 1923 were! the worst in the history of Republican Chi On May 6, an Joutrage occurred which centred the Jattention of the world on conditions China. This was the Lincheng Outrage, when the T. P. Riwy. "Blue Express" was derailed by bandits and 35 foreigners carried off to the mountains, 1924 found China disunited, the Government impotent, the political power in the hands" of the militarists. There was a sense of impending crash, of the inevitable fundamental revolution about which so much had been said during Republican history. On September 3, fighting broke out between Kiangstt and Chekiang, the Central Government supporting Marshal Chi Hsieh-yuan on a programme which called for the unification of the country by force. This war eventually embroiled the whole of China, The central theatre moved from the vicinity of Shanghai to that of Practically every province was Peking, when Marshals Wu Pei-fu autonomous. marched and Chang Tso-lin began to move across provinces with their bandit their opposing forces for a final armies seeking power and position. The worst forms of feudalism were determination as to which would waster China. The end of the war assenting themselves. not yet.
Throughout 1921, the fight among the provinces continued. 'The wars took place in all parts of the country. Efforts were made to achieve peace, to find some basis for unification, but nothing availed. On April 7, 1921 the political situation. was further complicated by Sun Yat-sen': election to the Presidency by the. Parliament meeting in Canton Now there were two parliaments, two Cabinets, two Presidents. A ied with one and then Both Governments were without funds and authority. Popular movements for local self-government appeared Teachers, policemen, officials, soldiers were unpaid, The whole of 1922 was devoted fo seeking for a foreign oan s0 that the Centyal Government ould avail it elf of funds for mili tary purposes. forthcoming.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.