Troubled Cities

"Back to Anarchy" seemed a glib phrase to describe last week the splitting of Chinese factions into unstable fractions of themselves. A month ago one could refer in general terms to a Northern and a rival Southern Chinese government. But last week these large groupings of power had decentralized into the hands of a few generals, politicians and adventurers precariously maintaining themselves in China's chief cities:

Nanking. Marshal Chiang Kaishek, recently Generalissimo of all the Southern (Nationalist) armies, set up a Cabinet, at Nanking, last week, to regularize his newly proclaimed government (TIME, April 25). Marshal Chiang, who represents the conservative Nationalist wing, assigned only two cabinet portfolios:

Foreign Affairs--Dr. C. C. Wu (son of onetime Chinese Minister to Washington, Wu Ting-fang, 1896--). Finance--Dr. Ku Yin-fang (onetime associate of the late Dr. Sun Yatsen, "Father of the Chinese Republic"). Chiang, his "Cabinet" set up, hurried Northward with two armies, resuming the original Nationalist object of advancing to conquer Peking.

Peking. Amid this Shanghai war on "Reds," able New York Times correspondent Walter Duranty arrived from Moscow at Peking and cabled, "This correspondent happens to know that the Communist Party's politbureau has been advocating far less Communism in China than its enemies care to admit." He continued that the Soviet Government is convinced of the impracticability of communizing China, at present, but is anxious to foster the development of Chinese Nationalism, a force directed against the Occident.

Hankow. The parent Southern Nationalist Government at Hankow seemed to be disintegrating rapidly last week. Only a fortnight ago the U. S., Britain, Japan, Italy and France delivered a joint note to Eugene Chen, Foreign Minister of the Hankow administration. But last week Mr. Chen was said to have fled to a hospital maintained at Hankow by French nuns.

Shanghai. Martial Law was declared in the Chinese city, last week, by Chinese officers adherent to Chiang Kai-shek (see above). Their soldiers nabbed haphazard and executed approximately 100 "Reds"; and concurrently the intermittent "general strike" seemed to be petering out, with all but a few thousand factory hands back at work.