Wang

Chiang* and Chang* have heretofore been the most potent names in current China, but last week was added the great name of Wang Ching-wei. He arrived from France at Shanghai; and as he strode smiling down the gangplank there seemed a chance that he may become the cohesive politician whom China so sorely needs.

The Nationalists have captured the Southern half of China; but they are split between the radicalism of their politicians at Hankow and the Conservatism of their military leaders at Shanghai. The Nationalists need and China needs a strong politician able to unify the Nationalist factions. Why was it supposed that Wang is the one man fittest for this task?

Chinese first heard of Wang when he attempted unsuccessfully to assassinate the Manchu Prince Regent in 1907, and barely escaped abroad with his own life. That attempt stamps Wang as a democrat and a patriot in Chinese eyes.

Returning from exile after the Chinese revolution, Wang became the political right hand man of the late Dr. Sun Yatsen, founder of the Nationalist Government, just as Chiang became Dr. Sun's most trusted general. Indeed only ten months ago, Wang was Chairman* of the Central Executive Committee of the Nationalist Government. But he was ousted by the Nationalist radicals and retired to France just before the Nationalist army set out from Canton (TIME, Sept. 6 et seq.) on its successful campaign to capture all South China. How did Wang return from France so dramatically last week?

Since Chiang captured Shanghai the breach between himself and the Nationalist politicians at Hankow has grown so wide that it is even rumored that the Nationalist Central Executive Committee has dismissed Chiang as Generalissimo, through this he has denied.

Obviously, Chiang's cue was to secure the return of Wang whose views are consonant with his own; and then to launch a political campaign to consolidate the Nationalists around Chiang and Wang, both of whom enjoy considerable prestige as men close to the late Dr. Sun in his last years.

Accordingly, Chiang cabled Wang to hurry back from France, but kept his coming a secret, so that Wang landed last week with a maximum of theatrical suddenness. Chiang at once announced that Wang is still "President"/- of the Nationalist Government. Who after all, shall say that Wang is not?

But last week it could not be told whether Wang's coming would heal or widen the split between Nationalist radicals and conservatives.

*Chiang Kaishek, Generalissimo of the Cantonese Nationalist Army which has conquered the Southern half of China (TIME, Sept. 20 et seq.), and captured Shanghai (TIME, March 28).

/- Chang is the surname of two Chinese War Lords: 1) Chang Tso-lin the great lord of Manchuria and North China; 2) Chang Tsung-chang, lord of Shantung, recently driven from Shanghai, feudal adherent of Chang Tso-lin.

*i. e., approximately Nationalist "President" in the Anglo-Saxon sense.

/-i. e., Chairman of the Central Executive Committee.