Then the North-eastern troops of Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang are pletured as ardently anti-Japanese—men without a home. "So they were, But they were also poorly disciplined P troops with bandit like" tendencies, who resented being transferred from the fertile Anhwei. plains to barren 'Shensi. Anti-Japonism with them came. second, as" subsequent events have proved.' These were the troops who, given the opportunity they were supposed to be clamouring for to fight Japan, sadly lot down the Central Government at Wusih, Quinssn, and Haining.
The part played by Yang Hu-cheng the Sian coup is also under estimated. Yang objected strongly to the presence of Chang Hsueh-hong's troops in Shensi, and he made skilful Use of the coup to get rid of them, Chang Hsueh-hong actually. carried out the coup, but Yang Hu-cheng got all the immediate benefits, Yang and Chang were allies only on the Surface: in reality they were at logger heads, and Yang" proved the astuter of the two.
The Influence exerted by the Communists" in the release of General Chiang Kai-shek is over-emphasized, and too little stress is laid on the rift which appeared in Nanking the moment, General Chiang had been captured, snd the eagerness with Which some of his would-be rescuers Wished to attack Sian, thereby almost certainly causing the' Generalissimo's death, The Greater Inspiration 'These, however, are minor blemishes in a book which' can be unreserved ly recommended to all readers. One does not need to be a student of Chinese affairs to enjoy this. book: It will appeal to everyone, Its. information" is new and excellently presented. Under the Communists the old Chinese disease of consider ing a thing accomplished as. soon as the plan for it has been put down on paper, seems on the way to be cured. For the Communists, as the author found them, are men inspired with an idea, the strength of which inds them into a powerful "unit, Selfishness and individualism have given way to the greater inspiration, and, above all, discipline is enforced and enjoyed. ' "These are hopeful signs, for no matter whether one favours communism or not, if such things can be in one instance, they gan also "be" in another-anti-Saponism, for example.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.