LATE NEWS

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 38, 14 August 1919, Page 8

LATE NEWS

CHINA'S FUTURE

BANE OP JAPANESE INFLUENCE

POWER OF MILITARISTS WEAKEN-

ING.

(TOUTED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPSRIOBT.)

(AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CADLB ASSOCIATION.! (Received August 14, 2.30 p.m.)

SHANGHAI, 13th August.

Kung Hsin Chang, Acting Premier and Minister for Finance, in an interview advocated international financial aid to China in place of the exclusive Japanese assistance upon which China recently relied. China's refusal to sign the Peace Treaty was evidence of her determination no longer to allow Japan disproportionate concessions. He was optimistic in the view that North and South China would be a reunited people. Already they were united in sentiment, and constitutional difficulties alone, remained. Wealth and industry were progressive, despite internal disturbances. China had ample security for all her developmental loans. He was confident China would ultimately shake off the excessive Japanese influence. Forty' per cent, of the Chinese revenue was spent in military purposes. Japan last year loaned £24,000,000 to the Central Government militarist leaders with the result that there was a maintenance of civil war and the creation of local military tyrannies. Chinese militarists were closely associated with Japan or under Japanese control, but during recent months the influence of the militarists had notably weakened. The interview is significant in view of Kung being a member of tho political group which supported the militarists.