A Light on China

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 45, 16 November 1940, Page 15

A Light on China

i ( HE table was exquisitely polished. the bowls ot finest egg-shell I fl eliiirn. the boys deft, and soft-footed, the innumerable dishes I delicious, the chop-sticks of ivory. .Moonlight Hooded through I the high open windows, and from the courtyard came the soft splash of a fountain, while round the table were nine or ten smiling Chinese faces. 'They had great, intellect and they were also full ot happiness; they spoke simply and openly about their country and limit courtesy was perfect; they frankly admitted China’s backwardness in many things and they discussed the war witii a freedom which astonished me. . . . "Somebody mentioned the Generalissimo, ami immediately a chorus of praise came from every side. He had done magnificent work towards the regeneration of China, he fought, without, fear with his men. he was adored by his generals. 1 said suddenly, ‘And he has brought, unity to China.’ “There was a long pause; then Mr. Lee bent, forward. How much unity is there in Europe?’ •••None, at the moment. But then Europe is a continent inhabited h.\ very different peoples.’ ‘“Yes. and China is bigger than Europe and the man from Pekin as unlike the man from Canton as Germans are unlike Frenchmen. We always point / these things out to Westerners who believe China to be unified. Suu Yat Sen did much toward the ideal of unity, Chiang Kai-shek is doing more; tile translation of Hie ideal into the reality will take many, many years, although Japan’s aggression agaiust us has Helped. Perhaps it will never come, who know s? • “‘But I have read and heard so much of Chinas unity.

“He laughed. ‘So have we, but we know it is not true. 'lake tins great province of Yunnan alone—and remember it is but one among many. Until fairly recently the south-west of China was used very much as Tsarist Russia used Siberia; it was a dumping ground for political offenders, spies and criminals, consequently there is a very mixed population extremely difficult to

handle. Then the war eitilje, ami, owing to the Japanese advance and particularly their raids, it was necessary to remove not only vast numbers of people but also the centres of our economic life from the war zones. Where should we move them to? Why, to this fertile garden province where enough food could be grown for all, where the Highway formed a link between China and the West, where air-raids could then scarcely penetrate. "'Very well, the Central Government decided to use Yimiiau not as a place of exile but as the very heart of China, and the Yunnanese were furious; indeed they still arc, because Provincial Government is extremely powerful with us and Yunnan possesses a strong Governor who. like the peoples he rules, lias no interest in the Central Government, in the development, of the country, or in the war. Why, only this last spring the Generalissimo paid a personal visit to Yunnan asking for troops to be raised. Ihe Vutiminese picked out their halt, maimed and blind, packed them off as their contribution to China's army and kept their sound men safely at home. “'But can’t the Generalissimo bring them to heel in some way? "Mr Lee shook his head ami bis face grew sad. 'How?' lie asked simply. •If the Generalissimo punished Yunnan, then Yunnan will not hesitate to rebel against him ami the Central Government —and Where will China's much vaunted unity be then? It. would never do to let the outside world witness tlie deplorable spectacle of a Chinese province waging war against Chiang Kai-shek.’

"I realized too well what lie meant, for since tlie focussing ot. world interest upon the Sino-Japanese conflict tlie cry had gone up in Europe ami America. 'See how marvellously Chiang Kai-shek has unified China!

-•Please understand.' came Mr Lee’s soft voice, ‘that the Generalissimo has done miracles for China: that he cannot perform the final miracle of unity is not bis fault in any degree. A god. not a man. is required for that gigantic task.”'—Mrs Eileen Bigland, in her book “Into Chinn.”