China: Feuding Factions

Factional fighting continues to wrack China, raising havoc with its economy and making efficient, day-to-day government almost impossible. Frustrated administrators and planners in Peking, concerned that outright anarchy seems to be approaching, have appealed repeatedly for peace. Yet the internal struggle between extremists and moderates not only persists but has apparently intensified. Last week, from strategic Kwangsi region in southern China, came reports of some of the most ferocious strife yet.

The vital rail line from China to Hanoi runs through Kwangsi, and working on the railroad has hardly been a pleasant task of late. At Kweilin, Liuchow and...