Notes on the News

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 4 May 1938, Page 8

Notes on the News

China And Communism

Mr. Kuclii Gunji. first Japanese Con-sul-General in New Zealand, says that behind China’s menace to Japanese trade lies the added menace of Communis in. According to the best Chinese authority, Communism in China as a political movement, owes its origin to the agitation among the Peking L'uiversity s.udeuts, wnieh arose in 1919 as a reaction to the Treaty of Versailles. Two years later the Chinese Communist party was formed in Shanghai. A representative was sent to "the Congress of the Far Eastern Proletarians which was convened at Moscow under the auspices of the Comiutern. It was there that the affiliation of the Communist Party with the Kuomintang wa» for the first time contemplated. Moscow was favourably inclined to the proposal, it* object being to exploit the nutional-revolutiouiuy movement under Dr. Sun Yat Sen for the purpose of Communist propaganda in the interior.” For a time Marshal Chiang Kai-shek was a Communist, and then he turned completely round. snd before the Japanese invasion of China was largely engaged in stamping out Communism in China. China Against Britain Reference to the boycott of British goods in Shanghai, "only about 10 years ago,” was made by Mr. Kuehi Gunji. In 1925 a campaign of hate and passion was fostered and brought to a head at Shanghai by an incident occurring on May 30. The year had been prolific of strikes which- were being exploited lo advance Bolshevik ideas. Early in May a Chinese worker had been killed in an attack on a Japanese miff. The students then took charge. According to an account in the China Year Book of 1920, determined on bringing the facts to the notice of the public by means of hand-bills and lectures, a section took advantage of the occasion to spread extreme political propaganda, attacking England. America, France, and Japan as alleged Imperial Powers. A riotous mob assembled in the International Settlement, shouting, "Kill the foreigners." Some constables were ordered by the British Inspector to open fire, with the result that four students were killed and a number were wounded. A foreign missionary testified that it seemed to him that the British Inspector had no option. George E. Sokolsky, an American citizen of Russian race, whose wife was a Chinese, said: “The Communists, through the influence of Comrade Borodin. had convinced the Kuomintang during the 1924 Party Congress to determine to concentrate the anti-foreign movement on Great Britain, on the assumption that as Great Britain is the most powerful of the foreign Power* in China, if Britain fell the entire structure of foreign rights and privilege* t China would also fall. . . . "From May to October, every child in the land sang songs of hale against Great Britain. There was a concentration—a mass concentration—of enmity toward a (treat Power which had never done a single thing in China worse than anv other Power. It will take a generation to overcome the effects of the propaganda against Great Britain during 1925-2(1. It was the most perfect and complete attempt of one nation to destroy the influence of another without warfare in the whole human history.”

Manchurian Incident The chief origins of the Manchurian incident and this incident (Hie present war against China) are very similar. states Mr. Kuclii Gunji. The Manchurian incident, which endad in Japan taking Manchuria from China and setting up the puppet State of Manchukuo. occurred on September 18. 1931. It is explained in the report of the commission of inquiry of the League of Nations (tho Lytton Report) a.< follows: "Tease feeling undoubtedly existed between the Japanese and Chinese military forces. The Japanese, as was explained to the commission in evidence. had a carefully-prepared plan to meet the case of possible hostilities between themselves and the Chinese On the night of September 18-19. this plan was put into operation with swiftness and precision. The Chinese, in accordance with instructions, . . . had no plan of attacking the Japanese troops, or of endangering the lives nr property of Japanese nationals at this particular time or place. They made no concerted or authorised attack on (lie Japanese forces, and were surprised by the Japanese attack and subsequent operations. "An explosion undoubtedly occurred on or near the railroad between 10 pill, and 10.30 p.m. on September 18. but the damage, if any, to the railroad did not. in fact, prevent the punctual arrival of (he south-bound train sufficient to justify military action. The military operations of the Japanese troops during this night . . . cannot be regarded ns measures of legitimate self-defence." From there the Japanese army acted with its usual promptitude and determination and the Chinese had uo chance.