Snapdragons

Not in snow-flecked Peking, not in tropical Canton, and not in any of the thousands of square miles that lie between did Chinese cry to one another, last week, Rung Hor Sun Hay! ("Happy New Year!"). Reasons: in the second place, very few Chinese had legitimate cause for happiness; and, in the first place, their "new year" does not come until February--when it is observed with fireworks. Thus the thoughts of the docile, unoffensive people of China were not lightened by holiday fripperies, last week, but they were darkened and depressed by a grim certainty: it is at this season that Chinese leaders sow the seeds of those many civil wars which burst throughout China each summer as surely as snapdragons.

Accordingly, all who would read China's future turned, last week, to gaze upon certain promising war-seeds and their lavish sowers.

Chiang Looms. Marshal Chiang Kaishek, a bantam weight, trim-figured "Nationalist," who disdains pomp and affects a simple khaki uniform, loomed, last week, as likely to be first in the field of springtime civil war. His personal headquarters are at the great seaport Shanghai; but he has recently been chosen the civil and military head of the "Nationalist Government of China," a group of politicians and generals with headquarters at Nanking, nearby. Last week this group were preparing to hold, early in January, a plenary session of the Nationalist party congress--to concoct war plans. Since there was danger, however, that some of the minority delegates might slip away, thus making it impossible for the leaders to obtain a quorum, the military police of Nanking were instructed, last week, to detain forcibly any delegate who sought to leave the city.

Sun Cable. Meanwhile Chiang Kai-shek was in difficulties at Shanghai, last week, with his sister-in-law, Madame Sun Yat-sen--although she was in Moscow. This dainty but great lady is the widow of Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1867-1925), who founded the original "Nationalist Government."

While Dr. Sun lived, Chiang Kai-shek was but an humble disciple. After his death, the disciple eventually became generalissimo of all the Nationalist Armies and led them up from Canton to conquer the southern half of China (TIME, Dec. 13, 1926).

This great and rapid conquest was financed in large measure by Soviet Russia, but, after Conqueror Chiang Kai-shek had suffered defeat, political, not military, (TIME, Aug. 22, 1927), he turned against Moscow. Such an about face was not made by Madame Sun Yatsen. She remains Russophile, she is now in Moscow, and she was sorely vexed when the "Nationalist Government" recently broke off its relations with Soviet Russia (TIME, Dec. 26, 1927). Therefore, last week, Madame Sun threw upon the side of Soviet Russia the enormous weight of her name and prestige* in China, by cabling as follows from Moscow:

"Just as I was on the point of returning home I learned of your proposal to break off relations with Soviet Russia and demand the withdrawal of the Soviet consulates. This act, if carried out, will be suicidal, isolating China and retarding her progress. . . .

"If you possess a particle of your leader's [Dr. Sun Yat-sen's] vision or remember that close co-operation with Soviet Russia was his last will, then you will stop this headlong plunging toward a precipice, dragging with you the fate of your country.

"I am remaining here as a moral protest against your decision unless at the last moment steps are taken to avert a break. I believe your alleged grievances can be settled by agreement with Soviet Russia.

SUN SOONG CHING-LING."/-

Chiang's Reply. Since the "Nationalist Government" is supposed to be founded on the great and revered "Nationalist Principles" laid down by the late, "sainted" Dr. Sun, its leaders were obliged to make a shrewd retort to his widow, last week, lest they themselves should appear in the eyes of the Chinese masses as traitors to Dr. Sun. Soon, to Moscow, sped a cable. Although long, it repaid close study:

"Your telegram dated today respectfully received. Evidently your correspondence has been tampered with.

"For taking this step in breaking off relations with Soviet Russia, whose agents recently made a holocaust of Canton [see below], we accept full responsibility, but we beg you to defer judgment until you arrive here and view the situation yourself.

"History, I am confident, will record that it was Soviet Russia herself that made a mockery of co-operation by persistently subverting the principles and policies laid down by our revered leader.

"The general opinion here is that as a loyal member of the [Nationalist] party, your telegram and a further stay in Russia could not be of your own free will. You could do far more for the party if you would present your views in person without duress.

"Eagerly awaiting your early return.

CHIANG KAI-SHEK."

Observers thought that petite Madame Sun might possibly be under duress in Moscow, yet they continued to see the force of the argument in her telegram to the effect that Russia is still the only great Power which is disposed to grant large financial aid to a Chinese faction which is willing to "co-operate."

Reds Mopped. The "holocaust at Canton," referred to in Chiang's telegram was of course the recent bloody suppression there of an avowedly Communist and Russian-fostered revolution. Last week Canton continued a shambles, as more and more Communists were hunted out and shot-- sometimes in batches of 100. Unconfirmed dispatches told that the test employed to detect a female Communist was, in most instances, simply to observe whether the prisoner had bobbed her hair. If she had, an executioner's sword cut off her head.

Throughout the week a further bloody mopping up of "Reds" went forward at Hankow, another "Nationalist" stronghold. Outside these isolated centres of violence, however, the general calm of China was such, last week, that eleven of the 16 U. S. mission colleges in China were in mid-semester with about the normal attendance of students.

Chang Tso-lin. The objectives against which Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist armies purpose to advance, next spring, are Peking and the rich northern province of Manchuria. Both are dominated by the great, barbaric War Lord, Marshall Chang Tso-lin. Whereas the Nationalist marshal goes about in simple khaki, War Lord Chang Tso-lin is never seen in a uniform not looped with gold braid and shingled with epaulets. Even these do not satisfy him and he reserves for "full dress" a peculiar, conglomerate garment of gold cloth, jewel studded, and said to have cost $40,000.

Chang Tso-lin is a typical old school bandit turned War Lord, and bothers with no high flown "principles." Japan supports him, because he keeps order in Manchuria by ruthless methods and because he gratefully protects Japanese interests there. For the rest, he has been several times driven from Peking, but never from his great war base in Manchuria.

His soldiers and his concubines know that the man. woman or child among his retainers who angers Chang is submitted either to some exquisite torture or to the clumsy but efficient beheading ax. Yet Chang Tso-lin is on good terms with the British and with the Japanese.

Feng Yu-hsiang. Although minor generals swarm in China, the only third commander at present ranking with Chiang Kai-shek and Chang Tso-lin is the roving, onetime "Christian" general Feng Yu-hsiang.

In his day Feng has fought on the side of almost every great Chinese "Marshal," or "Super Tuchun," and he has betrayed nearly all with whom he has fought.

Unpopular, mistrusted, hated, he stills keeps together a large, mobile army which is at present bivouacked in Honan, a central Chinese province. That this army will fight when spring comes is not doubted by anyone -- but against whom? To guess, in case of Feng, is rash. At present he claims to be a "Nationalist", and he has sent a delegate to the Nanking plenary session of that party -- but in a day, a week, a month, he may either change sides in China or sulk ily withdraw his whole force to a great emergency base which he maintains in inner Mongolia. That the Japanese Government is on its guard against Feng and ready to help de fend Chang against him was suggested, last week, when the Japanese cruiser Nagara arrived, teeming with marines, at Tsingtao, famed port of Shantung. Rumor had told that Feng might attempt, even in winter, to push north through Shantung to Peking.

*Enhanced by the fact that her sister Mei-ling is the wife of Chiang Kaishek, while another sister is the wife of H. H. Kung, a lineal descendant of Confucius. (The Chinese name of the great Sage, which Occidentals corrupted into "Confucius," is Kung (surname) Fu-tze (given name). /-"Ching-ling" is her maiden given name, "Soong" her maiden surname, and "Sun" her late husband's surname.