VITAL MISSION TO MOSCOW

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 154, 2 July 1945, Page 4

VITAL MISSION TO MOSCOW

OF the greatest importance to future Allied operations on the mainland of Asia is the visit to Moscow by China's Premier. Dr. Soong and his delegation are making Chungking's first real approach, to the Soviet Government for a long time, and British and American experts know that on the outcome of these conferences depend strategic moves that can materially shorten the war once our invasion of China begins. Since the recall of General Stilwell last year there has been a welcome improvement in relations between the Government at Chungking and the leaders of the Chinese Communists, and that this has been achieved is in some measure a tribute to the diplomacy of Ambassador Hurley (whose talents are well remembered in New Zealand) and the persuasiveness of Lieutenant-General Wiedemeyer, General Stilwell's successor. Latest dispatches from China indicate that the Japanese recognise their danger, and are regrouping with the aim of consolidating their defended zones, thereby making the final assault as costly to our forces as possible.

It is naturally of the first importance that when our armies do go into China they "should have the most favourable conditions for their campaigning. The best area for large-scale mechanised operations against 6 the Japanese is the heme territory of the Chinese Communist armies. Their scene of operations has been mainly from Shanghai, north to Peking and Tientsin, near the border of Manchukuo, and right across from the Pacific coast to west of the Yellow River. Here the Eighth Route and New Fourth armies have for years been fighting the Japanese, and upwards of three million poorly equipped militiamen-guerillas have been doing their share under the direction of the regulars. It is worth noting, in passing, that the soldiers of these armies would more correctly fce called partisans, for their political leaders have so far done nothing to carry out what is generally accepted as a Communist programme. The fundamental relationship between landlord '. and peasant has not been changed, although rents have been cut to a fair proportion of a man's harvest and taxes have been adjusted in accordance with a person's capacity to pay. General Chou En Lai, highly respected Communist representative in Chungking, recently explained how his party was committed to a policy of preserving the existing way of life. "Our task is to repel the Japanese invader," he said. "For this we must have the highest quality of unity possible. How can we have that if we set the peasant and the landlord, the worker and the business man, at each other's throats? When the last Japanese is expelled we hope for democratic elections for all China to decide such questions as division of the land and ownership of industries."

' : 'With the Okinawa campaign successfully concluded the Allied strategic plans were advanced a stage, and the question of settlement of affairs in China became a pressing necessity. It is true that General Wiedemeyer -has managed to get into action against the Japanese some of the well-equipped divisions that formerly were kept on the border of the Communist area, but it is now essential that the Soviet attitude to the Chinese Communists be defined. . No one knows when Russia will intervene, and although at present observers declare there is absolutely no'liaison between the Chinese Communists and their Soviet neighbours there-is the ever-present possibility that Stalin might come to the •'assistance" of the Chinese Reds whether invited or not.- Great' Britain and the: United States realise they cannot afford to find themselves behind the Chungking regime, with their Big Three partner en the other side, pressure has accordingly been brought on the Chungking Government, in'd as an earnest of his desire to see his delegation succeed Marshal Chiang-Kai-shek has sent his son along to Moscow with Dr. Soong.