CO129-502-8 China- general situation 27-4-1927 - 15-9-1927 — Page 37

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leave that job to me". Feng are trying to get the better of each other by what the Chinese call "dexterity in turning onds wrist". Yen's real disposition is to side with Chiang Kai-shek, for whom he has a genuine feeling of friendship. These two men would have already joined hands but for Feng Yu-hsiang coming between them.

There is no doubt that both Yen and

Yen Shi-shan and Chang Tso-lin.

to the Kuomin-

13. Yen has never really wanted to fight Chang Tso-lin. He merely wanted Chang to submit to the South tang. He advised Chang to a dopt the Nationalist flag and the Three People's Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen, and to change the name

of his army

'Ankuochun' to 'Kuominchun'. Chang refused to

do this; but even were he agreeable, his important lieutenants would have refused. Yen himself has already adopted the

Nationalist flag.

Chang Tso-lin.

?

secure.

14. Chang Tso-lin's position in North China is quite

His original plan was to go down as far as Honan, and then stay there and consolidate his position. This plan, how- ever, went wrong. He personally lacks political acumen, while very few of his subordinates have long political experience. As a matter of fact, he has never had a real good fight with Chiang Kai-shek. They advanced and retired, and then advanced again, but without any hard fighting. Chiang Kai-shek, Tang Sang-chi, Feng Yu-hsiang, Yen Shi-shan and Chang Tso-lin have all their own special weak points; and each knows his own weak- ness best, and therefore each has acted in the way he knew best.

15.

Chang Tso-lin's Scheme for Unifying China.

It has been, and still is, Chang Tso-lin's hope to unify China. For North China his policy is to deal with the

situation by armed force first, using political means afterwards;