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Show Hoover May Be Chosen to Disarm China HERBERT HOOVER, now secretary secre-tary of commerce, may head an international commission to dis-irm dis-irm China. China now has the largest standing army rr group of armies in my nation In the world. The exact lumber of troops is not known even :o the minister of war In Peking, but t Is estimated to be between 1,500,000 ind 2,000,000. These troops are under various "tu-ehums," "tu-ehums," or provincial military gov-irnors, gov-irnors, who either are only nominally mder Peking or else are in open de-iance de-iance of the Chinese government. Tlie 'tuehuns" levy and collect taxes, force direct contributions from the inhab-.tants, inhab-.tants, obtain loans from local bankers bank-ers virtually Pt the point of a gun, print and circulate paper money of '.heir own making, graft and "squeeze" ind wage wars as independent war ords while Peking looks on in utter Iplessness. Members of the Chinese delegation ere admit little can be done toward ,ctting China back on her feet until these "paper tigers" are destroyed. The most powerful among the "tu-:huns" "tu-:huns" do not hesitate to wring funds from the Peking government, when there is any money to wring, and openly dictate to the president and his cabinet. China cannot demobilize the armies of the "tuehuns" alone, so it has been advanced In conference circles that the Pacific powers, including China, should get together in the matter. It is proposed that a disarmament commission be named and that the sum of $50,000,000 be loaned to China as a demobilization fund. Secretary of Commerce Hoover is mentioned as chairman of this commission. Representatives of the commission would work with the Chinese government govern-ment and aid in the work of disarming disarm-ing the "tuchun" armies. Soldiers would be demobilized, given back pay they are in most cases many months in arrears and a small bonus and sent back to their home provinces. There they would be put to work on much-needed public works highways, railroads, canal widening and the like. |