Sun Worship

The leaders of the new Nationalist Government of China (TIME, June 18) are Sun worshippers. Last week they repaired to the Temple of the Western Hills, near Peking, and adored the cunningly preserved remains of their Sun--the late Dr. Sun, founder of the Nationalist Party.

Modern, materialistic Chinese prostrate themselves before the corpse of Dr. Sun Yatsen, just as modern, materialistic Russians venerate the embalmed remains of Nikolai Lenin. The writings of both men are, in effect, the new Bibles of two new, materialistic Civilizations.

The Nationalist Generalissimo who has conquered all of China proper, General Chiang Kaishek, is a brother-in-law of Potent Corpse Sun.

As such, Generalissimo Chiang, a slender high strung Chinaman, was first to fling himself upon the glass topped Sun coffin, last week, and loudest to sob. He controlled himself only when raised up and embraced by the towering Christian Marshal, Feng Yu-hsiang (TIME, July 2).

Subsequent ceremonies included reading to Corpse Sun a lengthy report as to how his disciples have conquered China. Incense was burned, dirges chanted. A table richly laden with food was placed at the disposal of the Dead--who sleeps in a coffin full of oil.

Finally the high, nasal voice of Chiang Kai-shek in triumphant recital of the last will of Dr. Sun Yatsen, ending; "Fight on, my fellow workers! Bring about a People's Convention for the solution of our national problems and to abolish the unequal treaties with foreign nations!"

Pregnant with significance was the continued harmony existing, last week, between the Nationalist Government and their great, voluntarily subordinate ally: the Christian Marshal, Feng Yu-hsiang, master of the largest personal army in the world. Whether Feng will remain subordinate to the Nationalists, seize power by a coup d'etat, or quietly wangle* himself into control of their Government is a question only now beginning to be answered.

Feng successfully wangled, last month, the resignation of Nationalist Foreign Minister Huang Fu and his replacement by Feng's faithful henchman, Dr. C. T. Wang.

At a conference of the Nationalist Marshals in Peking last week Feng Yu-hsiang proposed that "all except the best disciplined" Nationalist soldiers should now be disbanded, since victory has been won. The Christian Marshal's worst enemies will not deny that his troops are the best disciplined in all China; and therefore his proposal seemed the week's Perfect Wangle.

*A special symbol was assigned to "the indispensable word wangle" in the diplomatic code of the British Foreign Office, by imperative request of Colonel T. E. (Revolt in the Desert) Lawrence (See Yemen).