Basso Projundo Falsetto

Deep-voiced, hairy-chested Marshal Yen Hsi-shan, who is carving out a State for himself in northern China (TIME, Feb. 24), boldly decreed last week that his chief city shall again be called "Peking," meaning "Northern Capital."

In Nanking ("Southern Capital"), where the Nationalist Government which purports to rule all China is established (TIME, Oct. 29, 1928), slender, shrill President Chiang Kai-shek insisted that Peking's real name is the one he gave it two years ago, "Peiping," which means "Northern Peace."

In Yen's re-christened capital one Dr. Tchou Gao-hsing assumed the title of "Foreign Minister," announced last week to the Great Powers that the marshal will shortly call a People's Congress in Peking to elect Yen the President of all China, and that President Yen will have as his war minister famed General Feng Yu-hsiang, redoutable master of the largest private army in the world: 150,000 men (TIME, July 2, 1928).

It is no coincidence that exactly 18 months ago General Feng, far from being Yen's war minister in Peking, was actually President Chiang's war minister in Nanking.

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