Passive, Trampled

Comeback? With Soviet gold, Mongol troops and Russian officers, General Feng Yu-hsiang, "Christian Bolshevist War Lord,'" recently driven from Peking (TIME, April 12) was last week reported preparing a drive from Siberia on his native land. Then quite suddenly the occidental press discovered the General in Berlin. Perhaps he was only buying peanuts.

"Atrocities." Meanwhile Pekingese endured stoically the victorious armies of occupation (adherent to Super-Tuchuns [War Lords] Wu Pei-fu and Chang Tso-lin); and Dr. W. W. Yen, recently set up by the Tuchuns as "Chief Executive of China" (TIME, May 10), functioned as the entire Chinese Cabinet, since he could find no Ministers willing to serve under him.

This avoidance of ministerial honors by the many able Chinese diplomats at Peking was explained during the week by despatches smuggled past the rigid censorship of the armies of occupation.

If truthful, these reports indicate "a reign of terror" in which the victorious troops would appear to have glutted every appetite to the full. The foreign population-- guarded by foreign soldiers in the Legation Quarter--was not molested; but looting, murder and rapine took place widely throughout the Chinese quarters.

The usual stereotyped "atrocity" was enacted many times: an officer --several were Russian mercenaries --bursts into a house, orders his men to kill all but the more delectable women, recreates himself, abandons the women to his soldiers, departs with the lion's share of loot. The women, dragged to the soldiers' camps, are "staked out with ropes and pegs." Such acts --typical of every war--were given scant attention by callous humans last week.

Sun Rises. Marshal Sun* Chuan-feng loomed from his stronghold in central China last week as a super-bandit rapidly on the make and already seriously to be reckoned with as the rival of Chang, Wu and Feng. Two years ago Sun possessed only local influence as Military Governor of Chekiang province. Recently he boldly proclaimed the five provinces now within his grasp to be an independent state. Last week it was discovered that he was plotting against the Peking forces with Super-Tuchun Wu's most trusted henchman, General Chin Yun-ao.

While Wu instantly dismissed traitor Chin from the Civil Governorship of Honan, it was rumored that Sun had tampered with others of Wu's officers, had acquired an ambition to be the Great Man distracted China has sought so long.

Yet local observers noted that here for the first time was a possibility of China being pacified by division-if only Marshal Sun would content himself with five vast provinces.

*Not to be confused with the late radical, Dr. Sun Yat-sen of Canton.