"From Japan Apparently In the Driver's Seat Front Orr Own CORRESPONDENT
Peiping, May 14.
Mr. Wang Keh-min, who has come to be regarded as the head of the Provisional Government, has been on a visit to Tokyo and returned—with what promises is not known but with increased prestige and—probably the certainty that he will head an amalgamated and recognized government in Peiping, His visit, undertaken in cOmpany with a high official of the Japanese army's special mission, has provoked much speculation but officially very little is available about the.event but it is nevertheless fairly easy to i dicate some of the topics of conversation.
Mr. Wang's position is very different today to what it was when the Pr visional Government was formed last December. Then he was a "back bencher" and little or nothing was seen or heard of him. Dr. Tang Erh-ho played the leading role, took chief place in the press photographed groups and received the press, Today Mr. Wang is the only member of the Government in the limelight. A man of undoubted talents he has not been inactive and is reported by Chinese io have strengthened his position enormously in recent months.
Mr. Wang no Longer "Difficult"
He is said to have his own ideas as to how things should be done and is not to be backward in expressing his views. He appears to be fully aware that the Japanese had difficulty in persuading men of sufficient tonnage to come out as members of a Government, a difficulty which still remains And as anything in the nature of a Cabinet split or the resignation of Ministers would have an obviously bad effect for the Japanese the situ tion thus created is one of which the Chinese; with centuries of tortuous politics behind them, know how to take full advantage, tactfully and diplomatically. It is some month now since we heard on all sides that Mr, Wang was proving "a little dif cult,"
Then came the attempt to as smote him last March. As h drove through the streets his car was riddled by a number of revolver bullets but he escaped unhurt though his Jap-led nearly to Harl ese friend and adviser was seriously injured. This attempt on his life automatically increased his political stature and made him stand out further from his political colleague for even his enemies selected him the man important enough for assasation, Thus it is not surprising that Tokyo should wish to see the man running their government in Peiping. He flew first to Shanghai, discussed amalgamation with members of the Reformed Government (which incidentally the official Government interpreter hei will, in interviews, refer to as the "Renovated Government"), and then passed on to Tokyo to converse with practically all members of the Konoye "ahmet 2 Definitely Head of Regime This has established him definitely ab the head of the regime and un doubtedly when the Peiping and Nanking governments are amalgamate ed Mr. Wang will head it unless some purely figurehead personality can be prized out of retirement. Even ther he would undoubtedly be the power behind the president.
Mr, Wang's emergence to such prominence practically assures Peiping being chosen as the seat of the amalgamated government, the new Japanese-sponsored capital to which will be sent the ambassador apan is pi expected to accredit to the new bined regime proposed by the Japanese army, Mr. Wang can hardly be expected to move to Nanking to as-ime office there and in any event the name Nanking is not one the Japanese are fond of using. The excesses of the Japanese army in the first weeks of occupation of Nanking take a good deal of. forgetting Mr, Wang, when interviewed by the writer and other correspondents on his return, was studiously uninformotive, He stressed the big changes in Tokyo after an absence of 31 years, hig first and chief impression being that the Japanese race has increased in height and girth, to judge by the play of his hands when he said the Japanese were now bigger people. He added that he saw members of the Reformed Government in Shanghai and that these conversations resulted in plans for amalgamation of the two regimes being advanced several steps. ax Problems Discussed They discussed also Customs it and consolidated tax problems Shanghai and definite steps were agreed upon without any written documents being signed. It was premature, he said, to announce the date of amalgamation and obviously this must remain uncertain until such time railway communication with Nang is possible.
Marshal Wu Pei-fu is'still in residence here and still disinclined to emerge and in addition there are several others, including Mr. Hsu Shih-chang, who still has technically an unexpired term of the Presidency io serve, and Mr. Chin Yun-peng Premier under President Tuan Chi-jui and who is now on visit to Japan trying to get the Japanese Fxchange Bank of China re-opened.
But whoever might be persuaded to eme e, the power, it seems clear, will lie chiefly with Mr. Wang Keh-min, at the age of 59 an al of varied and useful experience and t protege of the Japanese army and Government. His activities have ered many fields—a counsellor of legation, member of the board of finance and the board of foreign affairs in Imperial days, secretary to a viceroy, a commissioner for foreign affairs in Republican times, a former President of the Bank of China, a termi Minister of Finance and an ex-director general of the salt administration, He travelled in Furope before the great War and lived five yea n Japan.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.