Show WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS Written r for the 7 grain 3 el C Wile China which a year ago was gripping gripping- the worlds world's attention may mount into the limelight again aln with the coming of or spring Washington's Washington's Washing Washing- tons ton's advices are arc to the effect that south China l or nationalist China as it is otherwise called caned will renew Its drive on Peking In another desperate desperate des des- effort to become the master of ot the whole republic The Tho prospect prospect prospect pros pros- of ot another expedition against Peking is based on the assumption that General Chang Kai nationalist nationalist na tin- autocrat In the region may be able to effect a long planned union of forces with Yu Yu-Hsiang the Christian general who occupies strategic positions in the nan Ho country on the Yellow river Hitherto Feng's power has constituted an Impenetrable barrier to south Chinas China's am am- bUlon to sweep northward and md nd dominate the country from Peking S S C Meantime the powers aro are on cin n guard as they have been now for more than a year Three light cruisers the Richmond fl flagship flagship flag flag- ship Cincinnati and Marblehead comprising the Third division of the Asiatic fleet neet Rear Admiral Join I Hj JI Blakely commanding have Just been detached from Admiral Mark L I. L. L Bristol's force in Chinese waters The cruisers have been ordered to report for maneuvers in Hawaiian waters and the navy d department has not yet et determined whether they will return to China Chinn next summer summer summer sum sum- mer o or O not That depends on the course of events there Out nut Admiral Admiral Ad Ad- miral Bristol and General General General Gen Gen- eral Smedley D JD Butler have the thic same or marines at their the disposal that were on the ground Inthe the early Cathy months of 1027 1927 These Thes Amerl American an forces are distributed among Shanghai and Pe Pl Ie king Other powers have troops at these points as well weB S C S Danger to te foreign lives and property property prop prop- erty has m materially subsided es especially especially especially es- es In and adjacent to the ports where international forces are assembled In the Interior peril It Is more or less hess chronic As far tar as Americans are concerned the United States government has baa steadily be been n evacuating our o own nationals from danger zones in the tha I hinterland but many have Insisted eJ I at their own risk nab in remaining I ther there At the outbreak of ot trouble last Jut year ear there were some Amei Americans leans In China That number missionaries business men teachers teachers teach teach- ers era physicians lans nurses and official of ot various has rankS ranks has been bOon materially materially ma ma- reduced but the numb number r 1 Is still considerable S S C Nationalist China as far as south and central China is concerned has shaken down since tho 1927 up It has at least four different different different dif dif- dif dif- ferent bases or Shanghai Canton and Honan Ho Ito nan with nan with as many different nt military mill mili tary leaders wielding more or less Jess autocratic authority The soldiers soldier have ha during during- the past few tew months of ot quiescence succeeded In shoving the political leaders into the ba back back- k- k ground That circumstance huts bus made for tranquillity It was tho the agitation of ot the nation nation- allt politicians that mainly led d to popular excitement and to such excesses ex cx- ceases as caused the near massacre at The military chieftains chIeftains chief chIef- tame have hUe a healthy respect for the force torce the powers are re ready to throw against them the mom moment nt theme thele was evidence of anything savoring ofa of a an armed drive against the foreign devils C S S What hat In the Interval has saved a Peking from from nationalist China is I the continued Viability of ot the south China war Jor lords to come to any agreement ap amon among themselves The result has been contentment on their part to rest reM on their laurels laurel anti anil hold the swa sway they acquired last st year without any attempt to extend it The Tho Manchurian war nar warlord lord Chang Chan is still joss ioas at Peking but he leads an existence exist exist- t ence that Is III based upon a m powder barrel with no one knowing hen hen It b be 00 exploded beneath him S S S The attitude of the United Stales Slates remains unchanged The Coolidge administration will sanction nothIng nothIng nothing noth noth- ing In the tIme nature of ot an arm allied International international Inter inter- national exhibition of ot force toward the Chinese nationalist or other other- wise Secretary Kellogg is ready as He lie always has been to negotiate new treaties with China the moment mo mO- ment there is a China with which he can negotiate America recognizes the Inequality of ot many conditions conditions con eon to which the Chinese object and is prepared singly or with other powers to bring about their amelioration when somebody can be dealt with qualified and authorized authorized author authur- to speak for a Chinese government government government gov gov- or nation worthy of ot the name At the moment Washington cannot discern such a regime on the endlessly chaotic Chinese horizon Copyright 1928 |