File No. 893.00/2724
Minister Reinsch to the Secretary of State
Peking, September 27, 1917.
Sir: I have the honor to enclose for your information copies of the following despatches from the Consulates at Chungking and Canton:4 They are forwarded on account of the information they contain [Page 105] on the situation in the provinces which are not at present in accord with the Central Government, that is Szechuan, Yunnan, Kwangtung and Kwangsi.
The following facts are detached from information which has come to me through conversation with the Acting President, the Premier and other high officials and from other sources.
The factors present in the exceedingly complicated situation in the South of China are the following: The Kuo Min Tang members of Parliament, led at present by Sun Yat-sen whose personal influence is however said to be on the wane, so that it is considered likely he will have to give way to less radical leaders. General Lu Yung-ting, who while keeping up his connection with the Central Government is supporting the principal demands made by the South; he is believed to be aiming for the Vice Presidency in the next election but the Premier stated to me that this was out of the question on account of the origin of Lu Yung-ting (he began his career as chief of a robber band). General Chen the military governor of Kwangtung and the two civil governors of Kwangtung and Kwangsi are in communication with the Central Government, although at the present they seem to have been induced to give a certain amount of countenance to the Provisional Government of Canton. The situation in Szechuan is so confused that it defies analysis. I have been informed by a prominent member of the government that the Chin Pu Tang members of the Cabinet are particularly involved in the situation in these two provinces, which they desire to use for the purpose of maintaining their importance in the Government. The most violent opposition was made on the part of Southern leaders generally against the appointment of General Fu Liang-tso as Tuchun of Hunan; though the Consul General at Canton, General Chen informed me that the demands with respect to the convocation of Parliament and the restitution of Acting President Li might be discussed, but there must be no mistake about the dismissal of General Fu Liang-tso. It was also reported from Hunan that there would be local opposition to his appointment. Both the Acting President and Premier, however, upheld his appointment stating to me that he had been selected on account of his good standing in Hunan of which province he is a native. When I asked why the South directed special opposition to him, I was told that this was done because it was feared in the South that General Fu Liang-tso would prevent the Province of Hunan from becoming a pawn in the political game played by the South. Those who believe that there is a secret but intense rivalry between the Premier and the Acting President hold that each one is trying to utilize the factors in this complicated game for the advancement of his interests. Meanwhile it appears that Mr. Liang Shih-yi on the part of the so-called Communications party, represented in the Government by Mr. Tsao Ju-lin and Mr. Yeh Kung-cho, respectively Minister and Vice Minister of Communications, is trying to make a combination with the moderate elements of the Kuo Min Tang party in Canton.
The above summary will appear far from intelligible, but it corresponds to the existing situation in which a great number of incongruous political and personal factors are present which are utilized in a rivalry for political power between the Northern military party, the Chin Pu Tang and the Kuo Min Tang, each in turn subdivided [Page 106] by personal groupings. Such national questions as the convocation of the Parliament, finance and military policy are viewed from the prospect of the approaching Presidential election and of the Parliamentary elections which will have to precede this. Every factor is closely calculated in its bearing upon this political contest. The efforts to obtain funds from abroad are also stimulated by the desire of all parties to get control of the proceeds of foreign loans. In this, of course, they frequently work at cross purposes on account of their conflicting interests. Thus a loan obtained and administered by the Minister of Finance (Chin Pu Tang) will be bitterly decried by the Kuo Min Tang and will not be welcome in that form to the Northern military and the Communications party; and vice versa for all the stated combinations.
I have [etc.]
- Not printed.↩