The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1928. CHINESE DEVELOPMENTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1928. CHINESE DEVELOPMENTS.

Dkvki.oi’.mknt.s iii China have not been tnucli to the lore of late in cable news, lint there is still a difficult ‘•situation” there. Trade must he very much npse. and the "hole territory in a very unsettled condition. A correspondent writing from Shanghai towards the end of the year stated trading conditions were haphazard. Fighting had only just finished in Fukcin, and may break out ill Kwungt ling at any moment. Two generals are .striij.jg,ling for .supremacy in Yunnan; the Nanking Nationalist faction has declared war oil the Hankow faction; Shansi is fighting Fengtieii, and the ‘‘Christian” General Feng may he involved shortly. In circumstances Such as these, movement of cargo to and from interior points has become almost iinpossihle. The word “almost” is used advisedly, as it is a remarkable fact that in some tnysterious manner the Chines trader manages to evade or surmount tlie obstacles of hiilitary imposition and to carry on after a fashion. But it is only after a fashion. Foreign firms here and elsewhere are feeling the (pinch severely. Most have reduced their staffs, and unemploy tnent among the clerical class is becoming serious. Those at a distance from China, when they see the Customs reports, quite naturally assume that the other reports that emanate from here are over pessimistic. They cannot lie blamed, ns the reports ■S’or 1926, front almost all ports showed increased trade. But individual foreign firms did not, except in a very few instances, make increased profits; in fact, many of them lost heavily. 'While it is not possible to state exactly what will he the actual return made by the Customs for this year, certain investigations that have lieen made recently show that, beyond a shadow, of doubt, the total will he appreciably less than last year. One estimate for the first three-quarters of the year, and this made by a responsible authority, is that trade has fallen off to the extent of twenty-five per cent. It could hardly lie otherwise. In the Upper Yanztze district, navigation lias become impassible owing to independent military or bandit chiefs demandng contributions from all vessels passing through the region where they exercise control. There are so many of these chiefs that the owners of steamships find it unprofitable to carry Oil their business, mid they have consequently suspended operations. Belore they did so. in many cases the steamers not only had to pay substantial contributions to military funds, hut the masters were compelled +o

carry troops to some destination chosen by the commander of the latter. A f course, no payment was made for these services. In such oirc-unistaii'cs suspension ot business was the only practicable course. A few years back China’s railways promised to become one ol the best assets that the country possessed. In spite of the fact that a certain amount of over-staffing and so forth was in vogue, the main lines were paying handsomely. The profits of the Peking-Mukden line under British management were so large that a portion was expended in the c-onstruo-tion of the Peking-Kalgan railway. But since the death of Ynan-Shih-kni, all this has been changed. Strangely enough, Marshal Wu Pei-fn, one of the most vociferous proponents of improved communications, lias a record of the most complete military dictatorship whenever were needed for military transport, Not- only did

be compel all other rail transport fo give 'him the right of way, but as exemplified in the 1021 campaign—be pushed out the civilian experts, and allowed his military subordinates fo try their hands at running railroads along the same lines as those employed in the management of mule-carls. Whoever the military commander lias been the practice Inis always proved uniform. One rule holds supreme—tiiaf a single petty military official is more important than hundreds of dollars worth oil' freight. Cars are comma n'deered. ordinary trains are sidetracked for indefinite periods, locoint)lives are driven without care or inei'et’ rill they expire, and traffic Mins oliiy in one direction. Whoii aii the roljing•tock is pile i up in a intiss near the •attic front, tilings ('nine tii a deadlock till the lime arrives for lielterkeltor retreat the other way. Marshal (bang Tsu-lin lias declared that “railway enterprises have a very important bearing on tlm state and livelihood of rile people.’ But these words have been heard before, often. They are rue. Blit Chinese military mffii have hi (he past shown themselves singularly unable to hear them in mind for more than five minutes at a stretch. China's Government railways always hare been money-makers; the IVkingllilnkow line alone is supposed to contribute around 5.l)(10.0f)0do1. aiiiiunllv lor military expenses, hull if eileli military leader would allow railways in Ins territory to operate freely and pay in proliis. he might continue prosperous despite expensive campaigns.