COMMUNISM IN CHINA

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25736, 23 February 1949, Page 2

COMMUNISM IN CHINA

CHANCES OF SUCCESS DISCUSSED MR BERTRAM TALKS TO ROTARY CLUB Without further interference from outside nations he felt that the Chinese Communists would establish a democratic, coalition Government, which would be for the good of China, Mr James Bertram, lecturer in English at Victoria University College, told a luncheon meeting of the Christchurch Rotary Club. Mr Bertram, a Rhodes scholar, was a newspaper correspondent in China before the last war and later a relief worker. “You now have a movement of primarily peasant revolt against an administration which has grown worse and worse,” Mr Bertram said, “but unlike other earlier and similar movements I think this one has some permanency, especially on land ownership. the most important question.” While he was a correspondent with the Eighth Route Army in 1936 Mr Bertram found that the Communists gave correspondents a completely free hand. They had nothing to hide, and were only too glad to have people frorrt overseas go and see them. Wherever the troops moved they voluntarily reduced their rations so that they would not rob the. peasants, in contrast to the old Chinese armies which used to swarm like locusts on the villages. Because of the peasants’ support the Communist Army had grown tremendously. Mr Bertram interviewed the Chinese Communist leaders and found them reasonably honest and apparently personally incorruptible—a very important thing for China. A question everyone asked was how much Russian aid the Communists in China received, he continued. There was a period in the 1920’s when there was considerable Russian aid in China, but it went to- Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Government, and later to the Kuomintang. “I think the evidence all shows that there has been no contact which could be construed as effective aid by the Russians,” he said. “Chinese First and Marxists Second” Mr Bertram believed that the Communist leaders were Chinese first and Marxists second. They wanted to re-' place feudalism by a capitalist democracy, because they considered feudalism to Communism too big a step. Of course Communism might be their ultimate aim, but in the words of their leader. Mr Mao Tsetung, the capitalist democracy was expected to last “several dozen years.” In their land programme the Communists had made no attempt to introduce collective or communal ownership of land: the programme was land for the tillers. Wherever Communists had set up local governments, they had been elected democratically and the Communists had limited their membership to one-third. The Communists had already had a military victory and politically they would succeed in establishing a Government, Mr Bertram continued.

“In spite of the presence here of uniforms of a friendly ally, I believe that it was American policy which caused the present civil war in China,” Mr Bertram said. He referred to several American officers who are in New Zealand for the Pacific Science Congress and who were guests of the club. “I believe the Americans have • a great responsibility,” he said. “Will the United States refuse to recognise a new government in China? If so there will be all sorts of complications. My own view is that if wise counsel prevails we will be prepared to accept a new government, to deal with it and trade with it. Britain has already shown sings of being prepared to trade with it. and that is perhaps the strongest pressure that Cfin be brought to bear on America. America will not like to see Britain get in and get business.”