China's Student Politicians

Abstract

PROBABLY no single section of Chinese society has created so much stir or had so much news space allotted to it in the past few months as the students. Almost from the beginning of the Manchurian dispute they have been active in patriotism, and it can hardly be denied that they have influenced considerably the course of events, though not, perhaps, to the extent they would have liked. It is, of course, nothing new in China for the student body to seek to take upon themselves the direction of public affairs, and the student movement has undoubtedly played an important part in the shaping of China's destinies in recent years. It is usually considered to have started at Peiping on May 4, 1919, with the outburst against the alleged pro-Japanese ministers, and takes credit to itself for the return to China of the ex-German concession of Shantung, and for many of the successes of 1925-6-7. From time to time, also, it has played a prominent part in the Chinese Labor Movement, especially in instilling nationalist and anti-foreign sentiments into the workers' organizations. With the establishment, however, of the nationalist regime at Nanking the movement died down. It had been inspired mainly by a fierce, at times even bitter, nationalism, and when that had been to a great extent appeased, its raison d'e'tre to a large extent was gone. The new government, also, did not particularly encourage it, and after 1927 it became practically moribund. It was left without proper leadership or guidance, with no common enthusiasm as a binding force, and insofar as it did persist it was in the form of cliques under the influence of ambitious politicians, who utilized the students for their own ends. Communists also found here a fruitful field for their propaganda. When Japan's actions in Manchuria roused student patriotism to a white heat and started the movement into renewed life, the result of these years of neglect and misdirection became evident. From the outset there was no sign shown of any appreciation of the government's difficulties. To lack of will was attributed what was in reality due to lack of power, and those statesmen who did not see eye to eye with the student leaders became the objects of their bitter hostility. The first to suffer was Dr. C. T. Wang. On September 28 last, a mob of student hooligans-for hooligans they were, no matter how misguidedly sincere their patriotism and aims -invaded the foreign office and assaulted him, injuring him so severely that he was forced to resign.