CHINA'S NATIONHOOD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19699, 27 July 1927, Page 8

CHINA'S NATIONHOOD.

DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT,

RISE OF THE KUOMINTANG*

RIVAL MILITARY FACTIONS.

INFLUENCE OF RUSSIA.

BT T. Z. KOO. /No. n. \lt was during this period that the Russian influence began to be felt i n China. Russia, posing as the only country ready to deal with China as an equal, was welcomed by Dr. Sun and his followers and Russian advisers were appointed to the most important departments in the Southern Government. The Russian contribution to the Nationalist cause lies chiefly in adding method and experience in party organisation and propaganda to the enthusiasm of the Nationalists. Since May 30, 1925, the Nationalist awakening reached its third stage when it entered another stratum of Chinese society, namely, the farm workers. During the past year farmers' unions have sprung up rapidly in South China and the movement promises to spread to other provinces whenever they come under the influence of the Nationalist Government. It is yet too early to estimate the power and strength of this group when thoroughly awakened to a sense of nationhood, but anyone with even a limited understanding of conditions in China will readily see the vast significance of this stage. \ The People's Party. The political expression of the Nationalist Movement is the Kuomintang, or People's Party. This party was originally founded by Dr. Sun Yat Sen as a secret organisation under the name of Tung Men Hui, for the purpose of overthrowing the Manchu regime. After the establishment of the Republic the Tung Men Hui was reorganised and became the Kuomintang. Through thick and thin, this party has tried to preserve the ideals of the Revolution. During the first years of the Republic it opposed Yuan Shih Kai's efforts to abolish the Parliament and suspend the Constitution. Defeated in.this struggle the leaders went down to Canton and established a Government independent of Peking. Through many vicissitudes of fortune this Government has developed into the present Nationalist Government. The chief source of strength of. the Kuomintang at the present time lies in the fact that it is the only political party which has even the semblance of a constructive national programme for the country. Broadly speaking, this programme consists of three main sections, namely, the political unification of China under the authority of a Nationalist Government, the readjustment of China's international treaties, and. the betterment, of the conditions of handworkers. With such a programme the Kuomintang has given voice to the nationalistic sentiment, and as a result the Northern drive succeeded beyond the wildest hopes of its originators. To-day the territory under the control of the Nationalist Government embraces Kwangtung, Kwangsi, Kweichow, Fukien, Hunan, Hupeh, Kiangsi, Shensi and Kansu. Military Factions. .Opposed to the Nationalist Government we find three military factions. First, and the most powerful, comes the Moukden group, under the leadership of Chang Tso-lin, which at present controls the Three Eastern Provinces, Chihli, and Shantung. Secondly, we have the group under the leadership of Sun Chuan Fang, which controls Kiangsu and Anhui. The third group is known as the Chihli Party with General Wu Pei-fu as the leader. This faction has Honan under its control. Outside of these three groups there' are Shansi under Governor Yen and Yunnan under Governor Tang, both of whom are maintaining an attitude of watchful waiting. Szechwan is claimed by the Nationalist Government, but its real status is still uncertain. Contrasted with the Kuomintang these military groups have no programme of any kind except unification by military force. They are cordially hated by the people and their elimination is simply a question of time. The Communists. Ever since the influx of Western ideas began in China, communism has gained a small band of followers in the ranks of the intelligensia. But the group has remained small and unimportant because of the innate aversion of the Chinese people to radical ideas of social organisation. When the-Kuomintang grew in importance and size and in the favour of the people it led to a desire on the part of the communists to want to throw in their lot with the Kuomintang, so that, under cover of the political influence of the party, they could propagate and put into practice communistic ideas and principles. The Kuomintang, on the other hand, lacked organisation and a spirit of abandon and it was felt by the leaders that an influx from the communistic group would be a great asset to their own party machine and spirit. Accordingly, a union of the two was consummated soon after 1921. The division of labour between these two groups seems to 'be that the political programme of the party is to be in the hands of the Kuomintang leaders, while the propagandist activities are to be ia the hands of the communists. This influx of communistic members into the Kuomintang has resulted in a sharp division in the rank and file of the party. Those followers of Dr. Sun who are moderates and not sympathetic to communistic ideas are known as the "Rights," while the extremists and communists are known as the "Lefts." Just at present the Lefts are in the ascendency in the party. The left wing of the party has gained a strong foothold among students through the student unions and among labourers through the labour unions. It is just beginning to organise the farm workers into unions also. Through these means, the left wing has gained tremendous power in: the party and the moderates are powerless to overthrow this group for fear it will so shake and disrupt the whole fabric of the party as to endanger the Nationalist movement in China. And. so the activities of the left wing are tolerated by the party as a whole and, for the same reason, tolerated by the people at large. It is, therefore, quite wrong to say. that China has become communistic. The real situation is that a communistic wing in the is at present tolerated for the 6ake of the larger issue beforo us, napiely, the successful prosecution of the .Nationalist movement.