Nov. 17.
'The Chinese Government may not be composed of wandering minstrels but there can be little doubt that, its present political garment, like its' administration, is a thing of shreds and patches. And there is a certain amount of wandering to boot. General Chiang Kai-shek, to whom many attribute the preponderance of lpower, is seldom in his capi Mr. Wang Ching-wei seems to Jspend an unhappy time embracing Shanghai and Nanchang' has stepped into Mr. Tt. V. Soong's place, is_ dividing his favours between Shanghai and Nanking, as his predecessor did. Meanwhile General Huang Fu is, with the former War Minister and Chief of Staff, General Ho Ying-chin, dealing steadily with various outstanding Sino-Japanese problems in the North. Tt is generally believed that the Government is inclined to countenance a wise acceptance of Chi '5 expressive words, facts in Peking. In Mr, Wang
General Huang Fu is being encouraged to "swallow the pill." Nor is there any reason to demn to the wisdom of such a cours For several months now this journal has strongly u importance of ending a situ which cannot be mended. In lather words it hax advised the Chinese Government to facilitate rapprochement with Japan by "calling it a peace." Measures on those lines have been taken. They have now reached the point at which it is possible to perceive a liquidation of the in the reopening of the Peking. impasse the North Mukden line and other means of communication with what was once Manchuria. The despatch from this journal's Peking correspondent yesterday. lined this view of the situation, It strongly endorsed by actual feitation of facts the general appreciation of Tokyo's grip on the North, as set out in these columns on November 2 in dis; cussing Japan's policy of Stabilisation in. the 'Par' East. Then direct reference was made to the possible revival of Manchu influence in Peking. It is significant therefore fo note the quotation in yesterday's despatch. of the words of Mr. Liu Chien-chun, a member of the Peking Military Council "Peiping to-day is the Muklen of yesterday, and all the northern Provinces are in the same position Three Eastern Provinces it rer recognition of Japan's Virtual control to the Yellow River can hardly be required.
In these circumstances the gathering disunity of the political forces in the territory south of that river requires the attention of the Government at Nanking. While the North, leaning laponly on understanding with the Japanese, pursues a steady policy which tooks definitely to a feradual consolidation of administrative activities and, the consequent return of "ordered conditions, the situation immediately outside that favoured area grows more confused. Leaving out of account for the moment the turmoil in Szechuen and the operations in Kiangsi, it is instructive to ponder over the Government's own position From Nanking there has come a [suggestion that Mr. Hu Han-min, to whose intelligence Mr. Sugimura has just given 4 startling imoniai, may be persuaded to former colleagues.
would be burying the hatchet with a vengeance, although, of course, with a Japanese "chit" in his possession, Mr. Hu Han-min, except for ly accepted feelings of personal prejudice, may not differ greatly from General Chiang Kai-shek in his political outlook, seeing that the General is credited with giving full approval to. the efforts inthe Wang Ching-wei is no less con-vineed of the sagacity of the same policy. But there are also reports that Mr. Hu Han-min, after being disappointed by General Chen Chi-tang Canton, is toying with the idea of setting up his own regime in Foochow, where, again, Japanese blushes' will be of no [small value to him. Meanwhile Canton, under the direction of [General Chen Chi-tang, is by no means helpful to the' ideal political unity with Nanking. Dr. Kung, contemplating the unhappy lot of a Finance Minister in his position, is frantically Jendeavouring to conjure up some Jpantomimie transformation scene which will encourage a_ tua market to believe that Nanking possesses the secret of Aladdin's magical lamp. It must be con-seems to be hamstring and its initiative is sorely at fault, How far this deterioration has been accelerated by Mr. Soong's defection it is impossible to say. Generally it_might be asserted that Mr. Soong's stand on financial policy was dictated by a keen perception of the dangerous trend of events. At the same time his personal differences with General Chiang Kai-shek have been so persistent lover the whole of the present year that the financial issue may have been only the match which set on fire and destroyed an ready highly inflammable rela-Nor is it, entirely that Mr. Soong was yin disagreement with the jiey of rapprochement with Japan. Not being in charge of Foreign Affairs, he did not feel it, incumbent on him to dispose current rumours on that point. He went s0 far as to hint that he was not blind to. the facts as they were. The deduction to be drawn is that the recent split has its inspiration more in a decided distrust of General Chiang Kai-shek's own outlook than in anything else.
Chiang's "opportunism has, so far, been equal to evasi lof major disaster. He confident that Kiangsi respond to his blend of military-cum-economic treatment, The sands seem to be running out and the confidence will soon require solid material on which it may continue operating. Certainly the so-called Soviet. administration, mared as it is by apparently complete _cooperation of military and civil effort over a large area, displays a coherence and cohesion Rot to be found in many other parts of China to-day. General Chiang Kai-shek might command more belief in his eventual suees if he showed an inclinaion to consider the possibility jof replacing purely milit lotion in such an area by some sort of diplomatic approach. However much there may be to leriticise in Japan's habit of treating with" regional authorities, it is idle to complain that thus is China's disunity intensified. For disunity in the face lof "foreign pressure Chinese leaders themselves are responsible; Japan cannot do otherwise than act upon her apprecia-of the facts which it connotes. While therefore a Government of shreds and patches may be able with impunity to take risks which would be fatal elsewhere, Nanking cannot surely rely too complacently on the forbearance of a traditional! patient public. In the Nort and in Canton proof has been given of the benefits of a forceful administration which accepts land acts on realities. The already loose ties which bind the Government to those achievements are in danger of being snapped. And, sad_ to tell, the circumstance seems to occasion more relief than alarm. That portent alone should spur even wandering minstrels to action.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.