Rebels Abscond

Like a house of cards, like a set-up of ninepins, the revolution in Central China collapsed suddenly and utterly last week.

Miles of trenches and barbed wire entanglements, which the rebels had constructed to defend Hankow (TIME, April 8), were simply abandoned, as a half-dozen rebel "Generals" absconded from their commands and fled for their lives across the sluggish Yangtze-kiang. Meanwhile other "Generals" made a great show of trampling on their revolutionary banners, and deserted to the Nationalist standard of advancing Marshal Chiang Kaishek. There was absolutely no resistance at Hankow when spruce Marshal Chiang stepped ashore from a Nationalist river gunboat described as the flagship of so-called Grand Admiral Yang Shu-chwang.

Master Mind Chiang. The moral victory which rendered battle needless, last week, should be credited almost entirely to Chiang Kaishek, victorious marshal and astute Chinese President.

A fortnight ago he was advancing with 150,000 Nationalist troops against a rebel army of 100,000 strongly entrenched. In the enemy camp it was believed that President Chiang could not count on the support of Marshal Feng Yu-Hsiang, master of the largest private army in the world (see p. 30), and that the strong militarist clique in Canton had definitely sided against the Nationalist Government. How Canton was brought suddenly to heel last week by President Chiang will not soon be known with certainty; but quite possibly huge bribes turned the trick, as they often do in China, for it is known that the Treasury was abruptly tapped by the President for $5,000,000 cash.

The recent resignation of Marshal Feng from the post of Nationalist War Minister (TIME, April 8), strengthened the rebels' confidence that he would aid them against the Government; but as battle lines were drawn, last fortnight, Feng remained steadfast, and when definite confirmation of this reached Hankow, last week, the house of cards collapsed. Despatches indicated that Master Mind Chiang had kept Marshal Feng's allegiance by promising that he and his peculiar Private Army shall be allowed to occupy and police the rich Chinese province of Shantung. Though the rebels were utterly routed at Hankow on the north bank of the Yang-tze-kiang, last week, the absconding rebel "Generals" collected a force of uncertain strength on the south bank, to which they had fled, and President Chiang Kai-shek prepared to engage in prolonged dickering and skirmishing. Nonetheless he stood forth, last week, more clearly than ever as the Strong Man of modern China.

Escalade. By dead of night Marshal Chang Tsung-chang--captor of Chefoo, where the hair nets come from (TIME, April 8)--sallied forth last week to capture the walled city of Ninghaichow by the medieval method of a stealthy escalade. Not to be caught napping, however, was the defending Nationalist commander General Liu Chen-nien. As Chang's stalwarts mounted the walls with scaling ladders, Liu's slant-eyed bravos hurled down upon them paving stones and mighty tubsfull of scalding water. Latest cables reported a draw, with Liu asking $200,000 to surrender and Chang offering him $50,000.