HONG KONG: Something Snapped

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When China was battling Japanese and Communists in the brave years before she fell into Communist slavery, General Wei Li-huang was one of the Nationalists' most glittering military figures. Born in Anhwei 59 years ago, stocky, pipe-smoking Wei Li-huang rose from the ranks to hold such resounding titles as commander in chief of the First War Zone, commander in chief of the Chinese Expedition to Burma, and finally commander in chief of the Chinese Army. He became a full general, and a member of the Kuomintang's powerful Central Executive Committee. Chiang Kai-shek was so delighted with him that he renamed a town in Wei's honor—an honor that no other living Chinese has received.

During the civil war against the Reds, Wei was made chief of the anti-Communist campaign in nine Manchurian provinces. At this point something snapped in General Wei's mind. Of his own accord, he abandoned his garrison in hard-pressed Mukden and fled to Canton, under an assumed name, with his second wife. The furious and disillusioned Gimo had him arrested and sent to Nanking to face charges. For a while, Wei dropped out of sight, but after the fall of Nanking in the last days of Chiang's mainland rule, Wei turned up in Hong Kong, abundantly supplied with money and costly gewgaws. With his wife, and children by his first marriage, he lived quietly in a two-storied house, with a garden of pines and papayas. He played mah-jongg with other ex-officers, read newspapers of all political hues, and dabbled in the amorphous politics of the "third force."

Some months ago a mysterious visitor from the Red mainland, known only as Mr. Tao, began visiting Wei Li-huang in the stucco house. Whatever Mr. Tao said must have been extremely persuasive. Recently the servants overheard a fierce argument between Wei and his anti-Communist son and daughter. Shortly after, Wei and his wife left by automobile, preceded by a dozen pieces of luggage. They changed to a Canton-bound train, and vanished behind the Bamboo Curtain.

Last week the Chinese Communists exulted: Defector Wei was in their hands and talking their language. Peking Radio broadcast a letter from Wei to his "colleagues and friends'' on Formosa, praising Peking's glorious achievements and denouncing Chiang Kaishek. Wrote Wei: "You have all seen that during the Korean war the powerful military might of our motherland forced the U.S. to a ceasefire. Taiwan [Formosa] will eventually be liberated." At last Communist report, Wei and his wife, seeing the sights of Canton, were "very lighthearted and thrilled."