Big Pill

A conference which has, for the past three months, been sitting in Peking to consider the means of reunifying China was dissolved last week. Intelligence concerning the deliberation of the conference has been scant, apparently because there has been nothing significant to report. The main result of the conference is the calling of a "citizens' conference which is to report to a commission appointed to draw up a new constitution." But with Tuchun* flying at the throat of Tuchun, and no Tuchun strong enough to rule the others, the mere thought of a constitution seems as out of place as Jonah in the whale's belly. No Tuchun can, much less will, swallow such a big pill.

As a correspondent in the Orient put it:

"Speaking frankly, the questions of a constitution and electoral representation are of no importance at the present day in China. The only issue before the country today is who of the militarists is to be top dog."

*A military governor of a province. The Tuchuns are the real rulers of China today.