Quo Fad is?

President Li Yuan-Hung was forced to flee from Peking under pressure from the Militarists. At Tientsing, capital of Chihli province, the presidential train was stopped by soldiers of the Governor of Chihli. President Li was forced to resign. He had, however, taken the precaution of giving his seals of office to Mrs. Li before leaving the Chinese capital. Application of the "third degree" made Li speak and Mrs. Li hand over the seals to the leaderless Cabinet in Peking.

The political condition is that the Cabinet constitutes the Government of China, which is without President or Premier. President Li now states that his resignation was forced and he still considers himself President of the Republic. Kao Ling-Wei, Minister of the Interior, was elected Premier, Dr. W. W. Yen, Dr. C. T. Wang, Dr Wellington Koo having refused to take office The position of the Government is indeed precarious, for nothing is known of the intentions of the Militarists, who are, of course, inspired by Marshal Tsao-Kun, Chihli Tuchun.

Foreign Governments have refrained from making any official comment on the Chinese political crisis. The recent happy ending to the bandit episode may be responsible for their quiescent attitude, but the most likely interpretation is that the crisis is not important in so far as the internal conditions of China go. The Government when it was in office was practically powerless. Therefore, its being out of office can make little difference, one way or another, in the chaotic conditions of the Celestial Republic.

In view of the general uncertainty of the situation, it can only be said that China is split into a great and a small camp; the one representing the Tuchuns (War Lords) and the other composed of the most enlightened men of China. Briefly, the struggle is between oriental and occidental methods of government.

The Militarists, any one of whom may try to seize the reins of power in Peking, are:

Marshal Chang Tso-Lin, Manchurian Tuchun. Rich, strong, a soldier who owes his position to his military methods.

Marshal Tsao-Kun, Tuchun of Chihli, probably the richest War Lord of all the Tuchuns, is also a strong man. He wants to become President, but has no policy except the plagiarism " reunification of China."

General Wu Pei-Fu, Tuchun of the Yangtzi Valley. Owes all his power to steel and smoke. He was the military sponsor of the Peking Government. It is suggested that General Wu has been bought off by Marshal Tsao-Kun, which would explain his non-partisan attitude in the recent militarist coup in Peking.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. He has his foot in both camps. On the one hand he is out for peace and on the other he takes care that his army is well behind him. But this is the only way to do things in contemporary China. He is certainly inclined to a moderate policy.

The members of the small camp are, of course, men who have received a Western education. Among them: Dr. W. W. Yen, former Foreign Minister; Dr. C. T. Wang, former General Secretary of the Y. M. C. A. in China; Dr. Wang Chung-Hui, now in Europe as a Judge of the World Court; Dr. Wellington Koo, Chinese diplomat; Dr. Alfred Sze, Chinese Minister to Washington.