Peking to Lhasa : vol.1 / Page 354 (Color Image)

0354	Peking to Lhasa : vol.1

270 PEKING TO LHASA

crown, a noble band, whom I admire, but among j

whom I have no wish to be enrolled as a

member.

The state of chaos in China will not be im-

proved

until

together gradually put each Province in

order ;

requirements and kept under a proper state

of discipline, whilst brigands are relent-

lessly hunted down.

It is impossible to forecast what combinations

of strong men will eventually bring back peace and

prosperity to the country. I should like to see a

combination of such men as Wu Pei-fu in the

centre of China, Ch'en Shu-fan in Shensi, Ch'en

Ching-mei at Canton and possibly Hsiung K'o-wu

in Szechwan. Other Provinces, of which I have

no recent experience, might be able to add to the

number. These combined should be able to put

an end to the effete puppets of the Peking Govern-

ment, that visionary impossibility Sun Yat-sen

and the wind-bag Wu T'ing fang of the Canton

Government. As regards Chang Tso-lin, who

rules supreme in Manchuria, I do not know whether

he has improved and is a reformed character from

what he was twelve or thirteen years ago, when I

visited him. He had then recently retired from

the leadership of the Hung-hu-tzu of his district,

and had a reputation for cruelty. He disgusted

me by bragging about a recent triumph over an

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