Once Over Lightly

Moving over on its pedestal after twenty years of solitary glory, the Kuomintang last week made room for a few outsiders in China's government and managed to throw a little gauze over its control. There was not much pushing, none of the insiders left for the comparatively ignominious life of politicians out of office. The Party merely established a few positions for the minority, created several ministers without portfolio-a useful importation from the West-and the new provisional government stood for the world to see.

The change was not drastic, the Kuomintang never intended it to be. It was intended to answer foreign demands that China show a little interest in democracy, now that the brave new post-war world has reared its ugly head over the land of squeeze. Elections will not be held before next December, so party hacks have plenty of time to arrange for a safe majority. In the meantime, the Kuomintang had to shunt off insinuations and questions concerning "one-party rule."

No better appraisal of the new, much-touted, multi-party government can be given than in the extreme reluctance of the minority interests to enter it. The Kuomintang negotiated for months to bring in the haggling splinter groups. Even after trading had supposedly finished, the small parties were evidently none too happy about their lift to power. Two members of the Social Democrats dropped out of the slate after they had been officially nominated to the supposedly all-powerful State Council.

Political moves last week were obeisances in the direction of democracy, and the $500,000,000 Chinese credit in the coffers of Washington's Import and Export Bank were frozen until Secretary of State Marshall approves the Chinese government. Now that Kuomintang party pride had stooped to allowing splinter groups in what had been its private preserve, the State Department can expect polite inquiries regarding the fund. It would do well to return equally polite replies-and no money-until next December gives the coolie a chance to decide upon his own government.