China China will be lucky if she escapes another civil
war. At present the co-operation of Yen Hsi-shan and Feng Yu-hsiang in the North looks very threatening-. Feng could do nothing by himself against Nanking, though he tried hard enough to prove his deadly hatred of Chiang Kai-shek's system; but now that Yen has sworn to help him some- thing serious may happen. The Peking correspondent of the Times, in an exceptionally interesting message, says that there may well be civil war unless Chiang Kai-shek retires from- the Nanking Government of his own accord. Chiang seems to be conscious of Some weakness as he is thinking of withdrawing, if he has not already withdrawn, his troops from the greater part of Shantung. Feng has been appointed to the command of the revolting armies and Yen will take political charge. According to the Times correspondent Yen and Feng assert that they are' acting in support of the" true principles "of the Kuomin- tang, and that they do not in any sense favour the Left but rather want all parties to be fairly represented. If Chiang should retire they would get into touch with Nanking and try to effect a settlement through a National Congress. One possibility is that the Capital would then be moved back to Peking.
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