The Need for Foreign Loans—The Curse of Militarism—
Rice Shortage and Smugglers—Soldiers and Self-Government—Likin Again In spite of the fact that the people of this country are all more or less weary of the political intrigues and factional fighting, the game of seeking conquest at the expense of one's neighbour or even friend is going on among military autocrats as merrily as ever. One can sympathize with the aims and aspirations of the Szechuanese who have driven the Yunnanese out of their own province, or with those of the Cantonese who have expelled the Kuangsiites from Kuangtung, both at the point of the bayonet. But one fails to appreciate why Kuangtung should have decided to attack Kuangsi, as the report says, at the beck of Dr. Sun Yat-sen; or why Hunan should have gone to such lengths as overthrowing Tan Yen-kai, a Hunanese and a conscientious governor to say the least, in order to join Kuangtung in taking the offensive against Kuangsi, unless for selfish of the tuchun as he seems certainly to be at present. The rumour that the Ministry of Finance had authorized the deferring of the payment of the half-yearly interest on the First Year Republican Loan, due on December 1, caused much uneasiness if not alarm among the Chinese investors until it was refuted officially by Peking. Generals Wu Pei-fu and Feng Vu-hsiang were criticized for having negiected to respond to the appeal for succour made by the Chinese garrison at Urga; but they were probably afraid to leave Chibli for such a distant place in view of the known ambition of General Chang 'Tso-lin to extend his sphere of influence into the interior. In Shanghai, two new associations have just been formed, namely, the Citizens' Election Supervising Association and the United Associa. tion of Self-Government Societies of the Provinces. purposes, Matters in the North are apparently in no better state. Several rival factions are covertly but fiercely contending for supremacy, so fiercely that an open conflict it is feared will result sooner or later. With grouping and regrouping of this party and that, and with friends becoming enemies and enemies turning into friends always on the tapis, unification of the nation under these circumstances appears to be quite attainable. So much for the poli ical situation.
Of other questions dealt with in the Chinese Press, the reported cases of bubonic plague in Hailar have called forth a clamour for the immediate adoption of precautionary measures. The highhanded action taken by Tuchun Wang Chan-yuan of Hupeh, backed up by his officers and troops, prior to the assumption of office by Mr. Hsia Shoukang, the new civil governor, was severely criticized. The frequency with which soldiers in Chibli and other provinces have risen in mutiny and committed looting and rapine has given much food for serious thought as regards ways and means to raise a sum of money sufficient to clear off the huge arrears of their pay incidental to their disbandment and discharge. The state of financial stress to which Kiangsu has been reduced is found by the Provincial Assembly to have been caused by the overgrowing expenditure for military account which the Civil Governor and the Financial Commissioner ought to have curtailed but failed. It is, therefore, with more persistency that the Kiangsu people are clamouring for self-government, the first tangible step towards which should be the selection of the Civil Governor by popular election, so that he would not be so entirely under the thumb Ars Foreign Loans Necessary?
The financial stringency in Peking has reached an acute stage, says the "Sinwanpao." Not only is there no means to pay the troops, but even the officials and employees of government depart ments and officers and teachers of government schools have not been paid their salaries for months. Our financial authorities have exhausted our resources and piled up our debts. They can do~ nothing beyond ignoring all demands for payment for the present. Is this not a shameful state of affairs for our Government to face? We cannot but feel the utmost contempt for our Financial Minister for having brought our finances to such a pass.
Now, it is all very well for our Government to declare that it will not accept foreign loans because vf the harsh terms demanded by the new Consortium. But—_ before eschewing foreign loans, proper steps should be taken to enable us to make both ends meet. We should either adopt a fixed schedule to curtail our military and administrative disbursements, or offer better inducements and security 10 facilitate the flotation of domestic loans. We may thus—secure sufficient means to "carry on." Yet, the Government has absolutely taken no action along these lines beyond declaring its unwillingness to contract foreign loans. It is, moreover, conducting negotiations in secret with certain fore capitalists. Therefore, we think we are justified in stating that, our people should not place much faith such declarations, apparently published to deceive us.
Tue Curse or Soxpiers.
Recently, the mutiny of troops has been reported with alarming frequency, remarks the "'Sinwanpao." The 11th Division alone has accounted for two such outbreaks, during which the soldiers robbed and killed a number of innocent persons. The Government has ai-ready sent deputies to proceed to the spot with funds to disband this force. But this was only an emergency measure. Other methods should be speedily devised to tackle the problem fundament-y. As there are so many troops, of our people would be left alive if our Government should persist in its policy of procrastination, or refuse to deal with the troops until after they had mutinied.
Even as an emergency step, the mutineers who have committed excesses in burning, killing, looting and rapine should not be so lightly disregarded, as the Government is apparently going to discharge them without inflicting any punishment. Before their outbreak at Kaoyang, General Li Kuei-yuan told his men plainly that he would allow them full liberty to do as they pleased. He also agreed to their request for a—fresh supply of ammunition, with calamitens results, as already reported. For a division commander to display such incompetency and, upon hearing of a proposal to disband his forces, to instigate and order his men to indulge in acts of violence, should demand exemplary punish: ment. Also, General. Tsao Kun, being the highest military authority in Chihli, should be held responsible for the maintenance of peace and order throughout his jurisdiction. Yet, with over 100,000 troops under his' command, he has been unable to prevent mutiny breaking out in his own province, not once only, but twice. What sort of duty is he doing? An Inspector-General of three provinces has been powerless to prevent an outbreak among his own troops at Kaoyang which is not very far (50 li) from Paotingfu! Such incompetency, (or was it a heartless demonstration of his destructive power!) should surely not be allowed to pass unnoticed and unprotested.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.