AUTHORITIES CONTINUE GAME OF MAKE-BELIEVE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25272, 26 August 1947, Page 6

AUTHORITIES CONTINUE GAME OF MAKE-BELIEVE

CHAOS IN CHINA

(Specially Written for "The Press.") [By H. G. W. WOODHEAD, C.B.E.J

Hong Kong, July 23.—The great game of make-believe continues unabated in China. The latest example is an announcement by tne Census Bureau of the Ministry of Interior that the population of China, exclusive of 8,700,804 living abroad, is 461,006,285. The absurdity of this statement may be realised when it is understood that the machinery for taking a census in China does not exist, and never has existed, and that no Chinese administration has functioned in the Manchuria provinces Whose estimated population is considerably over 30,000,000) lor the last 16 years. There are also large Communist-nom-inated areas in the north, where any Central Government official would receive short shrift if he ventured in So that no one living can estimate within 10,000,000 or 20,000,000 what is the actual population of this vast country. To estimate it within 100 is, _of course, typical of the manner m which the Chinese Government juggles with “TX with vital statistics that is largely responsible for Arreri'ca’s reluctance to pour more dollars into China’s bottomless bucket. To entice these dollars out of tne American taxpayer the Chinese will prepare wonderful projects for hydroelectric plants, railway and highway construction, public utilities, industrial plants, etc, none of which has the slightest hope of materialising until civil war ceases, and China can produce officials of integrity and experience to carry through her vast reconstruction programme, preferably under expert foreign supervision. , If we accept 450,000,000 as being approximately the population of China, the hysterical efforts now being made to “mobilise” the nation against the “Reds” are seen in their true light. The average standard of living being so low, men would flock to the armed forces if they were assured of regular food and pay, and humane treatment. But military service under present conditions amounts to slavery and exploitation at the hands of officers who steal and speculate with the soldiers pay, and sacrifice lives by the thousands owing to their inefficiency and callousness. The National Army today is estimated to number, over 2,000,000. Ten million volunteers at least could be raised if notary service offered any attraction. But the poorest coolie would prefer to exist on the verge of starvation than to enlist. And so in the great game of make-believe the Government is resorting to for “voluntary military service.” Notice has been given that 250.000 males between the ages of 20 and 25 (or about 50 per cent, of the men within this age range in the Shanghai area) are to be called up in order that the district quota of 3000 may be drawn by lots. This is, of course, taken to mean that there will be some very choice pickings for recruiting officials, who will, in accordance with tradition, allow eligible men to buy themselves off. Paupers and men without pull will be impressed into this “slave” army, and it is this riff-raff of malcontents which will be expected to fight the “Reds” and save China from “Communist domination. Other so-called “national . mobilisation” measures include banning of the

import of more motor vehicles (when China is critically short of motor trans, port), rationing of petrol (of which there is no shortage), and bans upon banquets and night life. Efforts have been made by organised demonstration, to create the impression that mobilisation has aroused public enthusiasm The participants in these parades, etc. are for the most part hirelings, and certainly do not reflect public opinion For the whole country is sick of civil war, maladministration and corruption and soaring inflation. The bulk ol the Sopulation may not be pro-Communist ut it is certainly anti-Kuomintang and daily becoming more exasperated by the game of make-believe now being played in the desperate hope of charming more dollars out of Washington. Waste of money and effort could hardly better be demonstrated than in the efforts of UNRRA to regain control of the Yellow river. Funds, mechanical equipment, food and expert direction have been lavishly furnished for this purpose. At the critical moment the UNRRA authorities appealed for a truce in the Honan area, to enable it to complete the dyke system. Both Government, and Communists agreed, and for a few days work proceeded. Then each charged the other with violation of the pact and UNRRA workers had to be withdrawn. Unles, work had been carried further than is generally believed, only a miracle can avert another catastrophe in the Yellow river area. Kuomintang stalwarts are now basing their hopes of survival upon the visit of General A. Wedemeyer who has just arrived in Nanking as President Truman’s special representative. As soon ar it became known that he was coming, the move towards liberalising the Central Government wai halted, there was a stiffening of its attitude towards the “Reds," and there were strong rumours that the reactionary C.C. Clique (led by the Chen brothers) would again come to the fore. The fact that most American editorial comment favoured withholding further financial assistance to China until a clean sweep had been made of the notoriously corrupt elements in the administration was ignored. General Wedemeyer has had too much actual experience in China to be bamboozled by window-dressing and make-believe during his six weeks' stay in the Far East, during which he is expected to investigate and assess the situation both in China and Korea. In Chinese official circles the hope is expressed that he will devise some scheme for applying the “Marshall plan" to China. But surely that plan in Europe is based upon the measure of self-help that European States seeking to benefit from it can develop. China is to-day in a position where further priming ' with United States dollars cannot prove to be a real reme A few weeks ago Nanking was clamouring for a 500,000,000 dollar rehabilitation loan, from the Export-Impc-Bank at Washington. It was not forthcoming, for various reasons, one of them probably being the American Government's belief (or knowledge) that the Chinese Government and Chinese profiteers have credits far exceeding that amount in the United States. Americans, moreover, are unlikely soon to forget or forgive the vicious anti-American demonstrations, of a few months ago when agitators invited them to “get to hell out oi China,” and informed them that they were “worse than the Japanese.”