MEN AROUND CHIANG

The men around Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek are a "gang," in the same sense that the New Deal or the Ohio Republican machine or the Cliveden set have been gangs. These are not sharp, rugged characters; these are reflections of the Generalissimo's many faces. But they are tough babies.

Chen Pu-lei, The Gissimo's thin secretary, is probably closest to him of all. Chen, 53, from the Gissimo's home province (Chekiang), was a distinguished journalist until he became Chiang's secretary in 1935. His importance rests in his determining who sees Chiang and what Chiang sees.

Ho Ying-Chin, 54, runs the Army. He joined Sun Yat-sen and Chiang in Canton as the nationalist revolution broke out, led one of the three armies in Chiang's campaign against the northern warlords in 1926. He has been Chief of Staff ever since. Ferociously antiCommunist, with several pet hates in his own Army, he holds all the strings and politically fears nothing. He works closely with Dr. H. H. Kung, 62, who controls Civil Administration. Brother-in-law of the Gissimo, "Daddy" Kung has for many years controlled Government finances, and is a great believer in printed currency. As Vice President of the Executive Yuan (Chiang is nominally President) he keeps his finger on all civil government.

The notoriously reactionary Chen Brothers control the Kuomintang Party. Chen Kuo-fu, 54, Chief of Personnel of the Gissimo's staff, and Chen Li-fu, 53, Minister of Education, who together represent the extreme right wing in

Chinese politics, control through their appointees all expression of opinion.

Stolid, stocky Chang Chun, 55, "the Gissimo's one-man brain trust," is Governor of Szechwan and leader of the top-notch circle of industrial planners known as the Political Science Group. An able administrator, he has done an admirable job since 1940 of breaking Chungking's province to the Government yoke. He should not be confused with Chen Cheng, 43, able young general commanding the central front and representative of the most influential field officers.

Tai Chi-tao, 53, and Wang Chung-hui, 61, are Chiang's philosophers. Tai, Kuomintang's leading theoretician and head of the Examination Yuan, has great influence on the Gissimo's thinking. Cautious, scholarly Wang is secretary general of the Supreme National Defense Council, which makes major decisions.

The liberal, pro-British representative in the Gissimo's cabal is Wang Shih-chieh, 52, lawyer and educator. Wang is Chief of the State Planning Department and President of the People's Political Council. Weekly he and other scholars lunch with the Gissimo, academically review China policy.

Modest Hollington Tong, 56, is Chiang's main official link with the English-speaking world. Officially, he is Vice Minister of Publicity, unofficially the Gissimo's interpreter (Madame sits by and interprets Tong's interpretations). Tong accompanied Madame to the U.S. last November.

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