General Butler Chinese Warlord

In 1928, After 30 years of stellar service in the US Marines, General Smedley Butler was in China for a second time (first time was during the Boxer Rebellion). His father had recently died and Butler seriously considered retiring from the Marines and living in China.

His ability to bring peace to Tientsin and Boxertown earned him the award of two Umbrellas of Ten Thousand Blessings (which had never been given to a foreigner before). He had mayoral experience in Nicaragua, police experience in Haiti and Philadelphia, and military experience from Cuba, Panama, France, Philadelphia, and on and on. He did not respect Chiang Kai-shek and hated the Chinese warlords, but he loved China and the common people.

If he had actually "retired" he could easily been placed in charge of police and defense of Boxertown (or Tientsin). He would have insisted that his men serve with the same level of integrity that he himself displayed. The city could prosper and defend itself against looters from the Nationalist or from the warlords. Butler would basically be a (benevolent) warlord himself.

Eventually other American expatriates would settle in the area; especially veteran Marines. The number of Americans would increase once the Depression started.

Then what?
 
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