During the last few days events in Canton have developed ominously for China. The flamboyant proclamation to which General Chen Chi-tang has given his signa-{ture and the circular telegram add-rossed by him and General Li Tsung-jen to various authorities either mean nothing or are to be taken as accurately reflecting their intentions and opinions. If they snean nothing they indicate an irresponsibility which must inevitably do grave disservice to China, In the last few months the rest of the world has taken considerable interest in China's problems and shown much sympathy with the courageous spirit of self-help which the Central Government at Nanking has displayed in grappling with the problems of economic reconstruction and in endeavouring to secure satisfactory relations with Japan. General Chiang Kai-shek has shown a wise restraint in meeting the difficulties created by the encroachments of the Kwantung Army in the North. General. Chang. Chun, in taking over the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, has appreciated the importance of coming to a workable arrangement with Japan. If the Central Government has realized the danger of abandon-Ing its conciliatory altitude, even the face of strong provocation, it surely is not unreasonable to expect that a provincial authority, how-jover independent, should be chary of uttering defiances which, by virtue of its own geographical posi~ tion, it cannot put into practical effect without gravely compromi: ing those nearer to the point of conflict. In those circumstances pronouncements such as have been lately coming from Canton must sorely damage China's moral credit. They abuse the tolerant latitude shown by the Central Government to the South-West Political Council. They deliberately challenge the solidarity of China's national policy at a moment of pregnant crisis. They appear to seek cheap notoriety by the flourish of a spurious patriot ism the risks of which fall on other shoulders, If the Generals of the two Southern provinces seriously intend to move their forces in the direction of the North for the purpose of physically resisting Japanese aggression, what possible chance have those troops of ever reaching the Yangtze? General Li Tsung-jen who has been relying on the counsel of Japanese Military advisers cannot be ill-informed on that technical aspect of his alleged purpose. If the Central Government were to give him every facility for engaging in the interesting combat which he proposes and could do so without prejudice to its own relations with Japan would he really be anxious to accept the opportunity? He knows—as everyone else knows /—that the answer is in the negative. But the problem cannot be viewed in that light. The Central Government, already heavily embarrassed in its discussions with Tokyo, will not be allowed to disclaim responsibility for the divagations of Canton, however much in fact it has been impelled to permit Canton to be a law unto itself in domestic affairs. It follows logically that if the South-West persists in its present provocative attitude toward Japan, the Central Government at no distant date may be called upon to answer pointed and awkward questions through its Foreign Minister. It is difficult to imagine a course of procedure more calculated to play into the hands of the most Jaggressive Japanese militarist than, that which appears to be gathering shape in the South-West, The atsertion that the desire is to adopt a "united front against Japan" is not impressive, for the Canton leaders are putting the cart before the horse. A united front is the condition precedent to the formulation of military measures, if such could effective and desirable. The process of attempting to establish unity by regional mobilization of The South-West leaders disclaim any intention of precipitating civil war. Their aim, admittedly, is to galvanize the Central Government into positive military action against Japan, They must perceive the absurdity of such a distinction without a difference. To influence an administration by argument and expression of public opinion is tone thing: to enforce those views by the mobilization of forees and preparations for their advance into
other. It is not dificult to imagine the impression which such developments are likely to make on Japanese opinion. While the two factions discuss their differences in full view of the public gaze, the chief subject of the discussion, in a posi, tion of complete detachment and freedom of action may be moved to take precise measures for safeguarding her interests. When the mists of controversy are cleared—for the smoke of internecine conflict has been dissipated—she, as a tertius gardens will be found to be enjoying further advantages, How this will benefit the cause of China it must be left for abstruse theorists or metaphysical necromancers to determine. The telegram circularly issued by the South-West Council pays tribute to the patience of the Central Government and says: the present situation is left to rift, the ambitions of the enemy Will become insatiable. There wil be no slisfaction of the enemy's Without venturing to disagree with the diagnosis, it may be permissible to point out that nothing can be calculated to minister more readily to the ambitions thus apprehended than the aggravation of Internal differences by armed ac~ tion. If the fate of China be in the balance as the telegram suggests, that perilous predicament is intensified by the ebullitions of the last week, It is greatly to be hoped that, even now, wiser counsels will prevail and that, by some means of sane and sober consultation between the two principal exponents of Chinese political thought, farcical gestures may be repudiated and tragedy averted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.