CHINA
397
The year was one of great distress in China, there being widespread drought in the spring and subsequent famines throughout the country, the province of Shansi suffering the greatest hardships. A certain amount of help was rendered from abroad. but the depredations of War Lords and brigands made the task of relief almost impossible.
The year 1930 saw the open revolt of Yen Hsi-shan, the model tuchun of Shansi and Feng Yu-hsiang against Nanking. Chang Hseuh-liang, the young Governor of Manchuria decided, however, to support Nanking and again Chiang Kai-shek won a decisive victory. Sporadic outbreaks by Communist hordes, who were little more than brigands, followed the nominal peace and inflicted immense suffering especially in Hunan. A determined set was made upon foreign missions, two English women being beheaded in Fukien, and numbers of ministers of all creeds lost their lives. The object was probably to involve Nanking in diplomatic trouble with the Powers. This signal- ly failed in view of the steps taken by the Chinese authorities to help foreigners. The growing ascendency of Chiang Kai-shek (who, incidentally, became a convert to Christianity) was the most notable feature politically, of the year.
Good relations were maintained with foreign powers, and in October Wei Hai Wei was formally handed over by Great Britain to China. Negotiations for the modifica- tions of "extrality" between Chinese and the Powers were in progress during tue year, but no decisions were inade.
In the early part of 1931 it was hoped that peace would be arranged be- tween Nanking and the Kwangsi militarists, who for two years had defied all attempts to dislodge them from Nanning. The cause of unity and cen- tralised government was, however, to receive a serious set-back. An extra- ordinarily strong force of communists appeared in Kiangsi, reputed to be one of the largest and best disciplined armies in China. The situation was wrapped in a veil of mystery and the very extent of the victories, claimed by Nanking forces, under Ho Ying Cho, the War Minister, and the President's right hand man, suggested the seriousness of the situation. A grave crisis, which may per- manently effect the course of Chinese history occurred on April when Chen Tsai Tong, the Commander-in-Chief in Canton, effected a coup d'etat, deposing Chen-Ming-Shu, the provincial governor and a faithful supporter of Chiang Kai Shek. An alliance with the Kwangsi Party, the Ironsides and the Northern rebels, under Yen Hsi Shan and Fung Yu Hsiang was concluded, and a rivel "National Government" set up at Canton. The ostensible reason for the coup was a protest against Chiang Kai Shek's arrest and detention of the veteran Kuomintang leader, Hu Han Min, and a propaganda compaign of intensive violence, demanding the resignation of the President was prose- cuted. The new regime at Canton included Mr. Sun Fo, who had escaped from Nanking, Mr. Eugene Chen, as foreign minister, and Mr. Wang Choi Wei as President, though the real power was in the hands of the military leaders. War was declared on Nanking, but the strong 19th Army of Chen Ming Shu, then fighting in Kiangsi, refused to join Canton, and no actual hostilities ensued, negotiations being continued, and, morever, the seriousness of the Kwangsi position, restrained Canton from action that might help the Reds. Chang Hsueh Liang, the Manchurian Governor, remained loyal to Nanking, and the only movement in the north was by the "Grey" general, Seuh Yu Shan, who was soon defeated by the Fengtien Army. The great floods in the Yangtsze valley, on the Yellow River and in Shantung shamed the militarists into keeping the peace while hundreds of thousands were homeless and dying of want and exposure. The extrality question, well to the fore when the year opened, languished owing to the continuance of civil strife and to the savage murders of John Thorbrun, near Shanghai, in which Govern- ment Officials were said to be implicated, and of Captain Nakamine in Man- churia. The outspoken report of Mr. Justice Feetham on the Shanghai pro- blem, and his findings against early rendition also suggested that the time had not come for abolition of these rights. The Sino-Japanese trouble in Manchuria is of too recent a date to allow of useful comment,