CHINA

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 88, 13 April 1935, Page 15

CHINA

RED PROVINCES

THE COMMUNIST MENACE

A COSTLY MISTAKE

The irruption of Communism has been a serious experience for China. Us results in the destruction of life and property and the creation of ghastly social and economic conditions compare with those caused by the Taiping Rebellion. The Taipings were hysterical fanatics who had no creed and nothing to offer those whom they conquered by brutal force and terrorism. The worst elements in the country flocked to their standards to share in the'orgy of violence and robbery. The same has happened under the Communists, but they have been promising the downtrodden peasantry salvation from the oppression of soldiery, corrupt officials, and ; -greedy landlords; They have preached against property., and in prabr tice have divided it among the poor. But behind their policy has been the sinister motive of Creating chaos for a political object; The Taipings had no external connections and received no assistance from abroad. Tne Communists were given materjal assistance from another country, originally with the object of involving China in a Red revolution that would destroy the position of foreigners in China and in Asia generally. It is now an old story that the Natjonalist Party at Canton, having failed to get any encouragement or assist ance from the foreign Powers which recognised the Peking Government, eagerly accepted the proffered hand of Russia, the country which had a new political creed\and which had indicated good will and good faith by renouncing the right conferred by the Tsarist treaties. The Bolshevists provided military equipment arid instructors, with the aid of which the Nationalists soon organisedan army which swept the mercenary Yunnan and Kwangsi soldiery out of Kwangtung, and for the first time made the Kuomintang master in Its own house. From that beginning there followed the march to the Yangtze and;the establishment of the Nationalist Government at Nanking. ; POLITICAL EXPERTS. In addition to the military element there came to Canton a corps'of political experts, headed by Borodin, which soon made itself felt. The Chinese Communist Party, already perniciously active at Shanghai and elsewhere, had a footing in the counsels of the Kuomintang, despite the opposition, of tile moderate members. Through , the intrigues of the Bolshevists, which split the Kuomintang • into antagonistic cliques, the moderates had to flee for their lives, and in the end^ the executive of the Kuomintang bfecame extremist and cheerfully,, adopted Communist technique., When success attended the advance to the north, thanks largely to the driving power of the Russians, Borodin emerged and appeared as a dominant figure in the Nationalist movement. -

There is reason to think that Borodin desired to camouflage the cloven hoof of Bolshevism until the whole of the country was under control of the Nationalists. Unfortunately for that: ppoli.cy .his corps of satellites, together with hosts of Chinese proselytes, some ■of whom had been trained in Moscow, spread themselves throughout Hunan arid turned the province Red. The, official ' administration and the processes of law were entirely superseded by hundreds.of labour unions, purely Bolshevist' organisations, which arbitrarily confiscated property, and murdefred all 'who opposed them. The developments in Hunan were soon noised abroad, and in particular shocked the banking element at Shanghai, to which the new Government looked for financial support. In the end Chiang Kaishek, who commanded the new army, turned on the- Communists, causing thousands to be executed and compell-* ing Borodin and his Russian emissajies to flee the countrty. '■ '■

It has never been supposed that the Kuomintang leaders who triumphantly entered Hankow had really turned Communist. But it is a fact that they accepted money and arms and political and military1 advice from a source which they knew to be tainted. They believed that Borodin, his minions, and ■their methods, could be discarded when no longer" wanted. Out of this error of judgment resulted the Communist affliction.which has harassed China tor the past seven years, and is still a menace to the State. Communism started in Hunan, became well established in parts of v Hupeh and a;few other provinces, but eventually centred in Kiangsi, where for years it was impregnable, in spite of the huge Government armies sent there to suppress it.