Right-Hand Man

Through the years, death, division and defection removed almost all the old Chinese Nationalist figures who fought at the side of President Chiang Kaishek. But after 35 years, one of the ablest of the young officers who taught at Chiang's famous Whampoa Military Academy in the '20s still serves his chief with conspicuous devotion. Last week, to instill discipline and order in a government that has lost much authority through parliamentary squabbling and faltering leadership, the President accepted the resignation of respected but ailing Banker-Premier O. K. Yui and named as Premier his tested old troubleshooter, Vice President Chen Cheng, 61.

In so doing, the Generalissimo also gave a strong hint of his future plans. If General Chen does the usual efficient job the Gimo expects from him, he may well succeed to the presidency in 1960. At that time the Gimo, who is 70, will complete his second six-year term, and Taipei is betting that he will not ask to have the constitution changed to permit a third. Instead, he is expected to turn over the presidency to Chen, and continue to have a hand in things by retaining the powerful director-generalship of the Kuomintang Party.

The Strict One. Tiny, tough Chen Cheng, who comes from the Gimo's home province of Chekiang, first caught his boss's eye after he was wounded fighting in the Canton army in 1923. Chiang made him an artillery instructor at Whampoa Military Academy (Chen took an instant dislike to a flashy young political instructor named Chou En-lai), then gave him the toughest combat assignments. Told to make order out of the postwar mess in Manchuria, Chen invited Manchurians to bring their complaints straight to him, and reportedly had 20 generals shot for stealing. Invalided south for a series of stomach-ulcer operations, he was ordered to Formosa to prepare for the Nationalist retreat, and arrived in the midst of much highhanded Nationalist treatment of the local population. Formosans remember him as their best Chinese governor, a man who "made no promises, did not brag and was very strict." When Chiang made him Premier during the Korean war crisis, Chen fired corrupt officials, introduced the government's first modern budget.

Chow Mein on the Mountain. Small, sallow, straggly-mustached, watery-eyed, Chen cuts a less-than-commanding figure. "I am 5 ft. 4 in. tall and weigh 124 Ibs. without my clothes," he says with dignity. Holding his temper under rigid control, he now speaks so softly his subordinates have to strain to hear; if they argue, he clams up and marches out. Feared and respected by politicians,.Chen is popular with the armed forces. Frugal, remote, humorless, Chen serves plain chow mein at his modest home near Chiang's atop Taipei's Grass Mountain, and criticizes colleagues for giving elaborate parties. One of his four sons is working his way through M.I.T., his two daughters are studying at Georgia Wesleyan. His wife is a devout Christian, who attends Madame Chiang's prayer meetings, but Chen says stiffly that he himself has "no religion."

Last week, as he was about to take office, Chen said: "We must remember that American aid comes out of taxes on the hard-earned salaries of the American people. Unless it is absolutely necessary, we will not ask for increased aid. We will try to balance our budget and equalize our exports and imports, and stand ready to respond to any uprising on the mainland."

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