Revolution

Just as wasp-waisted President Chiang Kaishek was about to shrill a speech of welcome to his "People's Congress" at Nanking; just as the President's northern ally, Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang, swooped down from Tientsin in his Ford plane, just as the party was going to begin last week, BANG--Revolution in Canton!

Things had been going quite well. Up in Hupeh province government troops had just put to flight Communist General Ho Lung. They captured 1,800 of his soldiers, made them kneel in long rows while down each row tramped a government executioner with a great, broad sword. Swish, swish, swish, 1,800 heads fell. General Ho, as he fled, dropped like hot cakes Miss Esther Nordlund, 34 (and Miss Augusta Nelson, 50), missionaries (TIME, May 4). They reached Hankow safely last week, gave the first account of little-known, muchdreaded General Ho.

"We were not badly treated," said Miss Nelson. "General Ho gave us coffee and cake while we discussed religion and world politics. His wife is mission-educated. So are many of his advisers. His men are well disciplined. They are executed instantly if caught smoking opium. General Ho is a Communist and objects to being called a bandit. He predicts that Communistic principles will eventually conquer all China."

The revolution at Canton, in the extreme South, last week was staged by General Chen Chitang, commander of the Eighth Army Corps, apparently in association with potent Politico Wang Chingwei. Both these men used to be intimates of President Chiang, broke with him some time ago, flayed him last week as a Dictator, called his Congress a fake. Upon seizing power, General Chen made the usual pretentions that all adjoining provinces had joined his revolt. In terror from Canton fled the Governor of the Province (Kwangtung), sagacious Chen Mingshu.

Next day the rebels claimed that War Minister Ho Yingching had joined them. He did not deny it. From Hankow he telegraphed to President Chiang with brutal frankness that 28,000 government troops in Kiangsi had just deserted to the Communists. Ordinarily such bad news would be kept secret.

The presence of Marshal Chang Hsuehliang in Nanking last week was the most important fact in China. Had the young marshal refused to come, had he made excuses tarrying up North in Peiping or Manchuria, the game of President Chiang would have been definitely up. The President's strength is now in the North, a paradox, for he got his start in the South at Canton, where revolution burst last week. From Canton in the brief space of two years (1926-28) President Chiang conquered all China. His only hope of maintaining this conquest now lies in the friendship of Marshal Chang and other Northern leaders. Last week in Nanking no dainty was too good for the Northern marshal.

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